Before the Shadows Consume the Light
by LazyBee
Summary: A web of evil is spun around the kingdom of Diavolco. How will the menace be brushed away?  Alternate universe, MikuxKaito, twincest RinxLen, GakupoxLuka, MeikoxKiyoteru. Rated M for character death, and language in ch11.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** I decided to try participating in NaNoWriMo this year (National Novel Writing Month, for those who dont know: 50,000 words in 30 days, with a motto of quantity over quality). Not sure how much it counts since I'm not using my own characters xD So yes, the plot will suck. Terribly. It will be full of cheesy clichés. But I shall write the story despite all these faults, really hoping that atleast some scenes will turn out alright...

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Vocaloid, or anything else mentioned throughout this fanfic.

* * *

Somewhere far, far away, past the limits of Reality, in the depths of Imagination, lies the kingdom of Diavolco. It is a country righteously ruled by the King and Queen, their dominance ensured by the Crimson Wolves, knights who have sworn to protect the Royal Family. It is a country woven with magic, by the hands of those who have an affinity for it; these spellcasters are gathered in the Order of the Golden Magnolia. It is a country cared for by the Sisterhood of the Teal Rose, an order of prestigious knightesses, who lend their strength to those in need. It is a country with nobility, citizenry and peasantry; with decent people and indecent people; with mystical creatures of good intent and bad intent.

A tall, snow-capped mountain range embraces Diavolco from the north to the east: the Diamond Peaks. A vast, deadly desert stretches across the south: the Topaz Barrens. At the western border is the Turquoise Sea, with the Sapphire River flowing into it, which divides the land in half. Near the eastern side of the Diamond Peaks, is the Aquamarine Lagoon. The Jade Forest is nestled between the Sapphire River and the northern part of the Diamond Peaks. The dazzling scenery is mostly untouched, with only a few villages scattered here and there. The capital, Rubyca, the single biggest city, rises where the Sapphire River meets the Turquoise Sea. In the corner of the city is the Garnet Palace, the Royal Family's residence.

Beneath the tranquil impression, a conspiracy is brewing in the shadows, entangling Diavolco in its web of evil. Who will notice the one pulling the invisible threads, and how will they be brushed away? Before the shadows consume the light...


	2. Chapter 1

The early autumn evening spread out over Diavolco. Ominous dark clouds covered the sky, hiding the millions of stars and the full moon from view. A strong gust of wind blew through the streets of Rubyca, rattling the shutters on the quaint little houses, chasing litter across the battered pavement. Not a single soul was out and about, all had retreated to the safety of their homes. The merchants had closed shop early; it was not in their interest to let the merchandise fall prey to the destructive force of nature. The ancient clock tower standing in the middle of the city struck 8 o' clock. The scent of rain already filled the air, signalling that the storm was about to start its symphony.

A bright flash of lightning lit up the sky. A mere second later, ear-splitting thunder followed. On cue, the heavy clouds released the rain they had been holding in. The drops fiercely hammered down, creating the illusion of rolling waves as the wind slanted their fall. In the Garnet Palace, Princess Meiko watched the scene unfolding before her eyes, sitting on the windowsill in her room.

"Such force, such power...it's breathtaking..." she whispered to herself, tightly clutching the wine-red curtains. Her rich brown eyes widened in amazement. A knock at the door disturbed her admiration of the roaring storm.

"Princess, dinner is about to be served," the voice of a servant announced from the other side. She never granted them permission to enter her room; she disliked seeing the commoners if it wasn't necessary. The rumbling noise of the storm drowned out his steps as he walked away.

Meiko stood up from the window, and straightened out her elegant crimson ball gown. The full-length skirt was richly decorated with lace and frills. The low neckline and the corset accentuated the curves of her body, which were fitting of a lady at the ripe age of twenty-eight. She picked out a red rose from the vase perched on her bedside table and pinned it in her chin-length, chocolate brown hair. She wore garnet earrings, with a matching garnet necklace adorning her neck. She gracefully walked across the spacious room and exited through the grand mahogany doors, heading towards the dining hall through the empty hallways.

* * *

When she arrived, the King was already seated at the head of table, with the Queen on his right. After a curtsy, Meiko took her seat on his left. Behind him stood Shion Kaito, the Commander of the Crimson Wolves, and Hiyama Kiyoteru, the Vice-Commander, both in full armour. During the day, only one or the other was present to guard them, alongside a squad of Crimson Wolves. At the dinner table, the two men in charge stayed nearby, while the knights stood guard at the door.

"Good evening, Father, Mother," Meiko said with a frozen smile. As she looked from one to the other, she quickly glanced at Kiyoteru, who slightly nodded in reply to her unasked question. No one noticed their wordless exchange of gestures.

"Good evening, dear," the King and Queen replied. With all members of the Royal Family present, the maids began serving the first course: a fine cream cheese soup.

"I'll pass on the soup today. I lack the appetite for it," Meiko announced to the maid attending her. She complied with the Princess' wish and took her plate away; it was not an uncommon request from her, since she had fickle eating habits.

Meiko waited patiently for her parents to consume the soup, the smile still frozen on her lips. She continued listening to the orchestra of the storm raging outside that covered up the strained silence of the family.

The maids cleared away the used dishes and brought out the main course: roast venison, with roast vegetables as a side dish. They carefully poured red wine into their glasses. The King raised his glass for a toast, the two women following suit.

"To our prospering kingdom of Diavolco, and to our lovely daughter who shall one day inherit it, Meiko," he said with his usual majestic tone, looking over at her, his face lit up with pride. The three of them clinked glasses and drank the contents.

"Meiko dear, have you thought about choosing a suitor yet?" the Queen inquired in between two bites of venison, finally breaking the silence, though the storm was still mostly covering it up.

"You have no reason to worry, Mother. Both you and Father are in great health, the matters of marriage can wait. I am sure that choosing an eligible nobleman will cause no problem when the time comes. After all, who wouldn't want to be King?" she replied with certainty.

"Meiko, you mustn't be so careless about finding a husband. I cannot allow my country to fall into the wrong hands," the King reproached her reasoning.

"I am well aware of that, Father," she retorted, a tinge of annoyance in her voice. She almost beckoned to the maid to pour her another glass of wine. _No, not tonight. I must restrain myself this once,_ she thought, stopping herself just in time. The Princess was prone to drinking an excessive amount of alcohol.

"This topic is still irrelevant, let's leave further discussion for another time," she proclaimed, cutting the argument short. The Queen nodded in agreement.

_It's always the same, every night. The same toast, the same topic brought up. Why can't they think of something else to say? Not like it'll matter anymore, _Meiko mused to herself.

After they finished the venison, it was finally time for the dessert: a serving of chocolate mousse. She savoured every bite of the sweet delicacy. All the while, the storm had not calmed, the flashes of lightning periodically brightened up the dimly lit dining hall, the thunder played a frightening melody.

"I bid you good night, Father, Mother," Meiko said as she rose from the table after having finished her portion. She kissed her parents on the cheek before leaving.

* * *

Meiko hurried through the hallways back to her room. Upon her return, she had to fight the urge to open up her secret whisky cabinet. She sat down at her vanity dresser and gazed at her reflection in the oval mirror. A sinister grin replaced the frozen smile she wore during dinner.

"Farewell, Princess Meiko," she spoke aloud. She removed the garnet necklace and earring, and carefully placed them in her ornate jewellery box.

She changed out of her ball gown and donned a burgundy silk sleeping gown instead. The storm didn't show signs of stopping; Meiko returned to her spot on the windowsill to continue gazing at it. Beneath the roar of thunder, she could hear the clock tower strike 11 o' clock.

After a while, three short knocks at the door caught her attention. She pulled together the curtains and turned to face the door. Kiyoteru entered the room and approached Meiko. She stood up from the window and closed the distance between them. He was no longer wearing armour, but his sword hung at his side. She let him pull her into his embrace.

"Is everything going according to plan?" she asked the man, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Of course. The drugged soup worked like a charm; both the King and Queen are already in a deep sleep. The poison is in my pocket, ready for use; it'll create the perfect illusion of a heart attack. I thought I'd come see you before switching shifts with Kaito and carrying out the mission," he reassured her.

"Excellent, you've done well. I presume a..._reward..._is in order," she said suggestively.

She cupped his face in her hands and pulled him close for a lustful kiss. She pried his lips open with her tongue, invading his mouth. Meiko ran her fingers through his short, brown hair. Kiyoteru slid his fingers down her back, stopping at her waist. He began pulling up her gown when she suddenly broke away from him.

"I said _a reward_, not _the top prize_," she explained to him, stressing the keywords. She took a step back from him before continuing her lecture. "Impatience is most unbecoming of the future King, don't you think?" she finished with a snicker. Kiyoteru chuckled.

"Without a doubt. Though is it not also unbecoming of the future Queen?" he retorted. "After all, it was your idea to dispose of the King and Queen instead of waiting for them to die on their own. Is it truly so important for you to inherit the throne now?"

"I've explained it countless times. Even if you are the Vice-Commander, Father would never accept that you are not of noble descent. Therefore, this is the only solution. If it's inevitable, why wait with executing the plan? Also, if I'd have to sit through one more aggravating dinner, I'd finish them myself in a far more gruesome manner," she clarified, adding emphasis with a frustrated sigh.

"Very well, then. I suppose I shall be on my way, now. Sleep well, my love," he said, and placed a kiss on her forehead before leaving the room.

Meiko lay down on her luxurious bed. _What a foolish man._

* * *

At a loss of what to occupy herself with, she simply stayed relaxing like that. The ever-continuing storm cleared her head of any thoughts. The clock tower now struck 1 o' clock.

"Ahhh, finally!" she exclaimed. "It's time to finish the first phase."

Meiko rose from the bed and walked over to the vanity dresser. She pulled open the bottom drawer and unlocked the secret compartment. She took out an ornate knife wrapped in a handkerchief. She exited her room and swiftly walked down the hallway towards her parents' room.

Sitting on a chair beside the door, Kiyoteru was fast asleep. There was no reason to stand guard for a pair of corpses. He couldn't have heard Meiko approach, the storm showed no signs of weakening even after so many hours, and the thunder overpowered any other noise.

When she attempted opening the door, the creaking noise made him stir. His eyes fluttered open. Surprised by Meiko's presence, he fell off the chair. He quickly scrambled to his feet.

"Why are you here?" he demanded.

"I wanted to confirm for myself that you succeeded," she answered. She crept through the opening of the door, cautiously concealing the knife in the folds of her skirt. Kiyoteru followed her inside.

She wandered over to the bed. The two figures resembled statues. Unfazed by the reality of her plotting, she calmly stood beside her father. With a swift motion, she clutched the knife's hilt with both her hands and stabbed him in the heart. The covers kept the blood from splattering all over her. She hurried over to her mother's side, and did the same, in complete serenity. Kiyoteru froze from the disbelief. This was not part of the plan.

"Wh-wha-what...w-why...you?" he barely managed to stutter. Meiko understood his fragmented sentence. After all, there aren't many questions that arise when you witness a daughter cold-bloodedly stab her already dead parents. She stepped towards him, holding on tightly to the blood-stained knife in her left hand.

"Did you think, that after living in the shadow of my parents for so long, that I'd simply accept living in the shadow of a mere _servant_?" she spat out the last word. "Of course not! I won't give up my chance to rule the kingdom on my own."

She was face to face with him now. She raised her right hand to caress his cheek. He placed his hand above hers.

"You're an ambitious man, Kiyoteru. Ambitious men are valuable tools in the hands of manipulative women. Thank you for playing your part so well. You earned the top prize." She leaned close, letting their lips lock.

Taking advantage of his dropped guard, she rapidly stabbed him in the heart and let go of the hilt. Kiyoteru dropped to the floor, the shock reflected in his eyes. She knelt down beside him.

"You evil woman..." he cursed at her with his last breath. She took his hands and curled his fingers around the hilt of the knife.

"I'll consider that a compliment," she whispered into his ear. Meiko stood up, and took a few seconds to admire her work. She picked up the handkerchief that she had dropped a couple of minutes earlier, and soaked it with the blood of the King and the Queen.

The brightest flash of lightning yet soaked the room in light, casting an eerie light over the three dead bodies. An extremely loud clap of thunder completed the moment. The storm abruptly came to a halt.

"First phase finished," she announced, her voice brimming with satisfaction. She left the room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

In her own room, she sat down at her vanity desk, and opened up the secret compartment to hide the handkerchief in it. Afterwards, she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

"Greetings, Queen Meiko."


	3. Chapter 2

The evening gently pulled its veil off of Diavolco, allowing dazzling rays of sunlight to bathe the landscape in radiance. The dark storm clouds that rampaged during the night had dispersed without a single trace, leaving behind an endless blue sky dotted with little fluffy white clouds here and there.

The capital and the villages awoke from their uneasy slumber and fell into the rhythm of their daily lives: the fishermen of Spila Zullia prepared their ships to head out onto the Aquamarine Lagoon, the farmers of Trincie gathered their tools to tend to their lands in the fertile zone between the Topaz Barrens and the Sapphire River, the hunters of Lyrcast sharpened their weapons before braving the lower slopes of the Diamond Peaks and the north-western edge of the Jade Forest, the craftsmen of Delmera inspected the watermills that profited from the Sapphire River's flow and started up the machines that used the excellent quality firewood from the southern point of the Jade Forest and the merchants of Rubyca opened up their shops.

A shaft of sunlight shone through the translucent curtains of The Silver Gryphon, Delmera's tavern, onto the peacefully sleeping form of a young girl, tickling her teal eyes open and bringing her back from the realm of dreams. The clock tower struck 9 o' clock. She rolled around lazily underneath the covers, further entangling her already messy long, teal hair. She stretched out her arms and legs, an enormous yawn escaping from her mouth. It took her a few minutes to gather enough energy to sit up in the bed. She blankly stared at the gray wall in front of her. _I hate mornings. I should just go back to sleep and wait for it to be...not morning anymore, _she reasoned. _Even the life in the Sisterhood of the Teal Rose couldn't get me used to waking up in a timely manner._

This girl was Hatsune Miku, a nineteen-year-old knightess from the Sisterhood of Teal Rose. She had spent her entire life among them; as an infant, she was abandoned at the doorstep of their Convent in Rubyca. Naturally, she was raised according to their teachings and was trained to be a knightess from a young age. For the past two years, she had been roaming the country, going wherever the missions sent her. At the moment, she was returning to Rubyca from Spila Zullia, and made a stop in Delmera to rest.

Miku finally forced herself to get up and out of bed. She washed her face with cold water from the iron basin on the small bedside table. She took off her light blue night gown and changed into her usual attire: dark brown linen pants, a blue linen shirt with a teal tunic over it that had the Teal Rose emblem embroidered on it and black leather boots. She combed her hair, which was quite a struggle with so many knots and tangles in it, then tied it into two pigtails with teal silk ribbons. Having made herself presentable in public, she left the room and locked it.

* * *

The knightess went downstairs to the dining area of the tavern. None of the tables were occupied; many travelers had already left, some haven't woken up yet. Miku walked over to the counter at the opposite end of the vast area and took a seat on the barstool at the far right edge; her usual spot.

"Mornin', Miki," she greeted the bartender who was facing the other way, her long, cherry-red tresses flowing down her back. The girl was the daughter of the tavern's owner, and a bit younger than Miku. She remained oblivious to her greeting.

"Hey Miki, can you hear me? Hellooo?" she tried getting her attention. Finally Miki turned around, her face pale as a corpse, her amber eyes wide with panic. She was clutching a flyer in her hand.

"The King and Queen are dead," she said with an eerie calmness. Miku's complexion also paled, her jaw dropped. It took a few moments for the information to sink in.

"You're kidding. That's not possible. Especially not both of them at the same time," Miku rejected such an absurd notion, incredulity in her voice.

"I wish I was...but it's the truth. I just received this flyer from one of the people handing them out. Here, read it," Miki told her, passing it to Miku.

She took it with trembling hands and began to read the announcement.

_Dear citizens of Diavolco,_

_It is with utmost grief that I must pass urgent news onto you. The King and Queen have passed away during the course of the night. I request your understanding and respect of my wish to hold a private funeral for my beloved parents. I invite you all to attend the crowning ceremony that is to be held in 5 days at the Garnet Palace._

_Queen Meiko_

"How disgusting, already addressing herself as the Queen," Miku growled in annoyance. She wasn't a particular fan of the Princess, though she couldn't really put the reason into words. "Unfortunately, I have to attend the ceremony, as a Teal Rose Knightess." She handed back the flyer.

"Are you leaving right away? Getting to Rubyca would only take you 3 days," Miki inquired. She pinned the flyer onto a nearby pillar.

"I suppose I should, I don't know if we're needed for anything special or not. But first, whip me up a spring onion omelette, please; I'm starving," she asked the bartender. A loud grumble emanated from her stomach, proving her words. A soft blush crept to Miku's cheeks, earning a friendly laugh from Miki.

"Sure thing, give me ten minutes." Miki scurried towards the kitchen to prepare her order.

Miku waited patiently for her breakfast. She placed an elbow on the counter and propped up her chin, staring at the countless bottles of liquor lined up on the shelves. _The sooner I return to the capital, the sooner I can start investigating. Something seems off. Why isn't the funeral public? What is the cause of their sudden passing away? What are even the chances of both of them dying at the same time? _The questions flooded her mind.

Suddenly, Miki entered her line of sight, holding a steaming plate of spring onion omelette. She placed it in front of Miku and handed her a fork. She quickly thanked her and started devouring the much-awaited food.

"Add this to the room price and I'll pay on my way out," she informed Miki as she stood up from the barstool after having cleared her plate of the last morsel. Miku hurried back upstairs.

Having returned to her room, Miku began packing her belongings into her large teal suede leather bag, which also wore the embroidered emblem of the Sisterhood of the Teal Rose. She took out the chainmail and pulled it on between her shirt and tunic. She removed her sword from its scabbard to clean it. It was a two-handed sword: the blade was not too thin, nor too thick and had a length of 60 centimetres. The hilt, mainly the cross-guard and the pommel, was decorated with an intricate design featuring the emblem. Its name was inscribed on the grip with ornate letters: Tezafiris. When she was done, she returned it to its sheath and tied it to her side with the sword belt. All prepared, she slung the suede bag over her shoulder and left the room.

Downstairs, she walked over to the counter and placed the key on it. Miki was washing the dirty cups and glasses, but turned to face Miku as she heard her footsteps approaching.

"That'll be fifty-five coins," the bartender stated. Miku put the payment beside the key.

"Thanks for the room and the meal, Miki. I'll be back sometime, as usual," Miku said to her as she left the tavern.

* * *

The clock tower struck 10 o' clock; the streets of Delmera were bustling with life. Miku took a deep breath, her nose absorbing the many scents that mixed together.

"Well then, let's get going, shall we?" she suggested to herself. Without a constant companion, Miku often resorted to speaking to herself.

Miku knew Delmera like the palm of her hand, since she always had to pass by the village whenever her missions took her even further, to Spila Zullia and Trincie. She had spent just as much time there as in Rubyca. She made her way towards the village square, where the carriage station was. Despite the years of training, Miku felt at unease when riding a horse, so she opted for public transport whenever she had a choice. It took her no more than ten minutes to arrive.

"Perfect timing, the carriage bound for Rubyca should be leaving shortly." Miku didn't need to buy a ticket; it was one of the many perks of being a Teal Rose Knightess. She walked straight to the correct carriage and boarded.

It was almost full, which was a rare occurrence late in the morning. _A lot of people must've decided to leave early for the crowning ceremony,_ she figured. Luckily, she spotted an empty seat in the back, beside the window. Soon afterwards, the vehicle departed towards the capital, and Miku dozed off.

The carriages of Diavolco were a peculiar contraption. They had drivers, but they were not pulled by animals. Instead, the necessary amount of energy needed to make it roll was supplied by a magical core. The spellcasters from the Order of the Golden Magnolia had created a small mechanism, with a charm placed on it that could put the wheels of the carriage in motion. The inside of the carriage was also enchanted: a sleeping spell was cast on it, in order to make the several day long journeys between towns bearable.

Miku woke up as the carriage halted at the station in Rubyca. To her, it felt like only 10 minutes had passed, instead of three entire days. She waited for the other passengers to get off before she did so as well.

"Rubyca: home sweet home," she said with a contented sigh as she stepped down onto the pavement. Miku started off in the direction of the Convent, slowly making her way through the thick crowd.


	4. Chapter 3

Even before dawn broke on the morning after the fearsome storm, the village of Lyrcast was already awake, in preparation for the hunt. More precisely, the individuals selected for that day. A system of rotation had been implemented ever since the founding, in order to equally share the load among them. The hunting traditions had been passed down through the generations, with the Megurine family as the leader. The current head was Megurine Luka, a twenty-three-year-old woman with gorgeous, long, salmon-pink hair and her sapphire eyes shone with confidence. As such, she was almost always a member of the daily hunting team. She received the position after her parents had passed away in an epidemic three years earlier.

Luka was in the stables, already in full gear, examining the physical conditions of their creatures to decide which ones shall partake in the hunt. These creatures, called Carmpions, possessed the body of a panther, the head of a wolf and the wings of an owl. All of a sudden, a man ran inside, heavily panting. Luka felt her nerves tense up.

"Is something wrong?" she asked him after a few minutes, allowing him to catch his breath.

"Urgent message...from Rubyca...King...Queen...dead," he told her, still at a lack of air. He retrieved the note from his pocket and passed it onto Luka.

She read it over and over again, having difficulty at allowing the words to be perceived as the truth. The huntress felt slightly dizzy, so she took a seat on a nearby barrel. Her face was pale, tears threatening to pour out from her eyes. She buried her head in her hands. _This is devastating...both of them passing away at the same time! Princess Meiko can't possibly think she could instantly rule the country on her own._ _For now, it's my responsibility to stay strong and composed in front of the villagers in the dire times to come,_ she decided.

After a few deep breaths, Luka felt calmer, though the grief was still wrenching her heart; she hated losing the people she cared about. She had only met the King and the Queen a couple of times, but that was enough to make her feel depressed about their death.

"Call together the entire village. I'll make the announcement before we depart," she commanded the man. He nodded and left to follow her instruction.

Luka stood up and walked over to one of the Carmpions. She was called Natu, Luka's favourite whom she had raised since birth; at the time, the huntress was four years old. She gently caressed her back, which merited a purr from the creature.

"You'll never die on me, right, Natu? After all, your life expectancy is double the length of mine," she conversed with her, a melancholic smile on her lips. The Carmpion bowed her head in reply.

A couple of minutes later, having gained full control over her emotions, Luka left the stable to pass on the news to the others.

* * *

As Luka walked to the small podium that had been quickly set up in the middle of the town square, she could feel the uneasiness of the villagers gathered there. There was rarely a need for such assemblies, so they were aware that something serious must've happened. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before speaking.

"My dear Lyrcastians, I have terrible news to share with you all. Last night, the King and the Queen passed away; the announcement arrived from the capital this morning. Unfortunately, Princess Meiko wishes to hold a private funeral for them. On the contrary, the crowning ceremony will be a public event, to be held in five days from now. I feel that, as the head huntress of Lyrcast, I need to be there. The journey to Rubyca should take no longer than three days by Carmpion, so I'm leaving the day after tomorrow. Anyone is allowed to join me; I'm certain that we have enough meat stored away to be able to abandon the hunt until our return. Unless someone wishes to take control in my absence, that is," she explained to the masses, authority and strength exuding from her voice. She could see many crying faces in the crowd, several people pulling each other into comforting hugs.

"Also, I'm sure that none of you are in a state right now to proceed with today's hunt, either, thus I'm cancelling it. Use this as a chance to properly deal with your grief so we can return to our routine tomorrow," she added. Luka stepped down from the podium and started walking towards the stables. _I'm going to go crazy if I can't escape from all this sadness._

One of the elders approached her, asking for a moment of her time. He was well over seventy, which would've earned him respect even if he weren't also a member of one of the head families.

"Luka, have you given this proper thought? Almost a week without hunting is an absurd idea! Especially as winter approaches," he reprimanded her.

"Trust me; I know what I'm doing. People need the time to cope, otherwise who knows what kind of state they'll be in. Your 'approaching winter' isn't approaching that fast; autumn has only recently started to change the color of the leaves, there is nothing to worry about. I'm fairly certain that someone will step up to take charge in my absence. I figured it to be a better idea for someone to come to me instead of appointing someone unwilling to the position," she explained to him, restraining herself from letting the annoyance be heard in her tone. _Old geezer sure can't stand it when a younger woman is on top of the situation,_ she noted to herself.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have matters to tend to." She left before he had a chance to object.

* * *

Luka let the familiar scent of the stables invade her nose and calm her senses as she stepped inside. She took the riding equipment off the shelf and began preparing Natu for their departure. After a moment of hesitation, she went to the weapons room to retrieve her bow and a set of arrows. _Wouldn't want to let a nice catch get away simply because I didn't have my bow with me, _she reasoned.

She led the Carmpion out of the stables and onto the field behind the building. She jumped into the saddle with ease, thanks to years of practice.

"Feel free to go whichever way you want, however you want, just not too fast," she told her companion.

Natu took small steps towards the Jade Forest at first, then gradually sped up to a gallop. The wind blew Luka's hair back, the sunlight making it sparkle. Once among the trees, the rays of light that seeped through the leaves created a reassuring ambiance. Luka emptied her mind of all thoughts, letting the beauty of nature reenergize her. She admired the flowers that bloomed in all the colors of the rainbow as they passed them by.

Following a pleasant roam in the forest, the Carmpion took a turn towards the Diamond Peaks. At the feet of the slopes, she stopped to spread out her wings, so as to prepare for taking to the skies. She jumped onto a boulder, from which she then pounced upon a higher slope before flapping her wings and rising into the air. Natu used the snow-capped mountains as an obstacle course, skilfully weaving her way between them. The fresh mountain air filled Luka's lungs. She extended her arms, which made her feel like she herself was flying freely in the sky.

A short while later, they reached the tallest part of the Diamond Peaks: Quartz Point. The hunters rarely went that far, because most of the animals preferred lower altitudes. Natu descended, settling down on a rocky ledge that was big enough for the both of them to sit comfortably on. Luka got off of the creature and settled down beside her, stroking her rich, black fur.

"This is so relaxing. What do you say to living here? No more responsibilities, no more society, no more trouble; just the two of us..." Luka suggested to her companion, her voice trailing off as she imagined their care-free life. Natu howled in agreement.

Luka lay down on Natu's back, looking up at the sky and admiring the puffy white clouds that floated above them. She was about to doze off when a tiny clattering noise alerted her senses. She sat up immediately, her eyes scanning the area around them. She heard the noise again: this time, she could identify it as coming from the direction of a chain of caves nearby.

"Stay here, I'll check what it is. We might be returning home with fresh meat on the table," she said to Natu as she stood up. Luka fastened the pouch of arrows onto her back and took her bow in her arms. With silent and careful steps, she approached the caves.

The huntress heard the clattering noise again, but it was getting farther away; despite that, she kept pursuing it. Soon, she caught a glimpse of something purple disappear inside one of the caves.

"Curious...I don't know of any beasts with a purple mane inhabiting this area..." she mused aloud. Her bow poised and ready to shoot, she headed towards the cave.

As she stepped to the entrance of the cave, she was shocked to the point that she released the arrow. There was a man standing there; lucky for him, the arrow whizzed right by his head and bore straight into the cave wall. He had long, violet-coloured hair that he wore tied into a high ponytail. His eyes were of a matching shade of amethyst. He wore broad, dark purple linen pants with a dark purple piece of silk coiled around him like a long-sleeved shirt and leather sandals.

"Greetings, how may I help you?" he asked Luka, a wide smile on his face, completely oblivious to the fact that he had almost lost his head.

"I...uhhh, well..." she stumbled on her words, at a complete loss of what to say. She lowered her bow and she felt her cheeks heat up. The man looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"Erm, sorry for almost shooting you; I thought you were an animal," she finally managed to say. The stranger gave a hearty chuckle.

"Worry not, fair maiden, no harm was done. I suppose I truly resemble a wild beast more than a human being nowadays," he replied.

"I'll be...leaving now," Luka announced, taking a few steps backwards. _This guy sort of gives me the creeps...who the hell lives alone on the highest mountain of Diavolco?_

She didn't notice the rock behind her. Luka fell backwards, but instead of the stone-cold floor, she landed on something warm and soft. At an inhuman speed, the stranger had arrived from the far side of the cave to cushion her fall.

"Ahh, thanks..." she mumbled. By now, she was certain her cheeks were ablaze.

"It was my pleasure, fair maiden. May I ask for your name?" he inquired.

"Megurine Luka," she replied.

"Ahhh, such a lovely name, for an equally lovely maiden. Oh, how rude of me, asking for a lady's name before stating my own! I am called Kamui Gakupo. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Megurine Luka," he informed her.

"Yeah, a pleasure," she said, slightly taken aback by his polite manner of speech. Luka came to the realization that their conversing was taking place while she was still sitting in his lap. She quickly scrambled to her feet, picking up her bow that she had dropped.

"Now I really am on my way, bye!" she shouted over to him as she hurried out of the cave.

She easily found her way back to the spot where Natu was resting. She hopped on her back, and the Carmpion took to the skies without her owner needing to say anything; she could sense that Luka had experienced an odd encounter and simply wanted to return to Lyrcast as soon as possible.

* * *

The next day was spent with making preparations for the journey to Rubyca. As Luka had previously anticipated, one of the best hunters volunteered to take charge while she was gone, and he had already assembled the teams.

On the morning of their departure, only a dozen or so villagers had gathered to accompany Luka. Most people came to the conclusion that a ruler who held a private funeral for the deceased King and Queen would be better off with a private crowning ceremony as well.

The trip itself to the capital passed uneventfully, as it was to be expected under Luka's leadership, also considering the fact that the villagers were used to being in the wild. If anything, it was the time they'd have to spend in the city upon their arrival that they were afraid of.

At the gate of the city, they tied the Carmpions together to prevent getting lost. The riders walked beside them, and Luka lead the line with Natu.

"Alright everyone, we're finally here. Be wary of your belongings, there are all kinds of people living in Rubyca. Pay attention not to get lost, either. Our first priority will be finding a tavern we can stay in that can accommodate our companions," Luka clarified to the others.

Once inside the city gates, the huge crowd that had gathered for the crowning ceremony immediately sucked them in.


	5. Chapter 4

On the morning after the immense storm, radiant sunlight washed over the streets of Rubyca. However, it could not penetrate the thick, velvet curtains of a certain room of the Tower of the Order of the Golden Magnolia, where the spellcasters of Diavolco are taught and which serves as their accommodation. This certain room belonged to Kagamine Rin and Len, twins at the age of sixteen. They were the children of a nobleman in Trincie, and they had left home in order to learn the art of magic. For that reason, their family considered all ties between them obliterated. The only exception was their mother, who continued to support her children by sending money.

Rin was still sleeping peacefully when Len began to awake from his dreams. His aquamarine eyes slowly opened, and the first thing he saw was her face with its perfect features. A smile spread on his lips. _The face of an angel is the best thing to see in the morning...makes me feel like I'm still dreaming,_ he contemplated.

Underneath the covers of their shared bed, Len gently curled his left arm around Rin's slender waist. His right hand was already occupied: his fingers were locked with his sister's. He inched closer to her until their noses touched and he breathed a soft kiss onto her tender lips. The girl's eyes fluttered open, the two aquamarine gazes met, mutual love reflected in them. She placed the palm of her hand on his cheek and leaned in for another, more passionate kiss. Len caressed her bottom lip with his tongue and she opened her mouth to let their tongues entwine. He hugged Rin into a tight embrace. With her hands on his bare chest, she could feel their synchronized heartbeats. It was only the lack of oxygen that forced them apart.

"Good morning, Rinnie," he whispered into her ear.

"Good morning to you, too, Lennie," she said with an enchanting smile. Rin reached out a hand to ruffle Len's short, golden locks of hair. She parted his bangs the same way she usually wore her own.

"If my white ribbon and hairpins were in your hair, you'd look exactly like me!" she exclaimed, adding a sweet giggle. Len joined in with a laugh, while pulling Rin's golden tresses into a ponytail.

"The same applies to you, sis," he mentioned, a wide grin lighting up his face.

Their conversation was cut short by the frantic tolling of the Tower's bells.

"The bell's not supposed to sound like that," Rin observed, sitting up in the bed.

"That's the point; it must be the emergency signal. We should head to the Great Hall as soon as possible to see what's going on," Len reasoned. He tossed aside the covers and got out of bed to walk over to their dresser.

He opened the polished oak doors and picked out two cotton robes: an orange one for Rin, and a yellow one for himself. He threw hers over to her, since Rin was still sitting in their bed, not quite comprehending yet that 'emergency' means that they should be in a hurry. These robes were the traditional everyday wear for spellcasters inside the Tower. Usually, they wore regular clothes underneath it, but taking into consideration that they don't have much time to spare, Rin pulled the robe over her orange satin nightgown and Len kept his yellow pyjama pants on underneath it.

Len hurried back to the bed and gently grabbed Rin's wrist, dragging her out of bed and onto her feet. She quickly pocketed their hair accessories that were on the bedside table before heading to the door. After slipping into their sandals, they left the room. He held onto the doorknob and quickly murmured a charm so as to lock it.

* * *

A steady course of spellcasters occupied the hallway, heading in the direction of the Great Hall. Rin's cheery expression from before was replaced with a frown. _Someone had better be dead for interrupting my morning with Len_, she grumbled to herself. She glanced at him, noticing that he was no longer in a cheerful mood either.

She took Len's hand and pulled him into the flow of people. Once they arrived in the Great Hall where the Order of the Magnolia held its gatherings, Rin spotted two empty chairs nearby underneath the tall, painted glass windows and led him to them. Having taken their seats, she retrieved the contents of her pocket. Hoping to coerce a smile back onto Len's face, she placed her ribbon and hairpins into his hands. He looked at her quizzically as she combed her hands through his soft hair and used his hair band to tie it into his usual ponytail. A smile appeared on his lips for a brief moment before the blank expression returned. He placed the white ribbon into Rin's hair, tying a neat bow on top of her head. He styled her bangs into place using the white hairpins. She thanked him with a quick peck on the cheek. The unanticipated gesture tinted his cheeks with a rosy pink.

"Sheesh, they should start this stupid assembly already..." Rin whined. He nodded to show his agreement.

"Hey, what do you think happened?" she asked her brother. He shrugged in reply.

"I bet it's just something utterly idiotic, like they found someone snacking on the desserts again," she suggested. Len's reaction to his sister's silly theory was a face palm.

Rin gave up starting a conversation and sighed from exasperation. _No use; nothing can break the wall of silence Len puts up around himself the second we're not alone anymore_, she complained in thought.

It took a while for all the seats to be filled. The chattering of those already there was almost deafening. Suddenly, a high-pitched whistle sounded, immediately silencing the noisy spellcasters. A woman in her mid-twenties with long, silver hair and scary, ruby eyes walked onto the stage at the far end of the Great Hall. She was Yowane Haku, the Grand Mage, a title owned by the leader of the Order of the Golden Magnolia.

"There's no easy way to go about saying this, so I'll put it bluntly. The King and Queen have been murdered," she paused for a few moments as a loud gasp resounded in the Great Hall before continuing, "and the culprit was Hiyama Kiyoteru, Vice-Commander of the Crimson Wolves, who committed suicide right afterwards."

A pang of guilt tugged at Rin's heart. She squeezed Len's hand for comfort and he held on tightly. _I didn't _actually_ want someone to die...especially not the King and Queen! _When tears began trickling down her face, Len kindly brushed them away.

"It seems to be an isolated act, but I'm going to pick out a couple of you to help with probing the minds of all the Crimson Wolves as a safety measure. We'd be in one hell of a pinch if even Princess- I mean, _Queen_ Meiko got slaughtered as well. Speaking of which, the crowning ceremony's in 5 days, so I'll need volunteers to help with organizing all that stuff as well. The funeral's private, so we won't have to worry about that. Well, I guess that's about all, so you kiddies can go back to whatever you were doing. In light of these events, though, classes are cancelled until after the crowning," Haku finished her announcement. She waved to the crowd and left the stage.

_For someone in a high position, with an intimidating presence, she sure speaks quite casually,_ Rin giggled at her observation. The Grand Mage rarely spoke in front of the spellcasters, but on the few occasions that she did, it left them feeling like she was their eccentric aunt.

Rin heard a loud grumble emanate from Len's stomach. He lowered his head in embarrassment, and she could see him blush. She was about to chuckle when a similar noise came from her own stomach. Her face also took on a hue of pink and she could faintly hear Len snickering.

"Uhm, I suppose grabbing breakfast right about now would be a good idea," Rin said with a nervous laugh. They both stood up and she took his hand to lead him through the crowd towards the Dining Hall.

* * *

As they stepped inside, an orchestra of mouth-watering scents captured their noses and they both inhaled deeply. Rin scoped the Dining Hall, happy to see that their favourite spot was unoccupied: a few columns away from the lower windows, so that they could still enjoy the sunlight without shivering from the cold breeze that came through the upper windows and quite a distance away from the counters where they served the food, so the people passing by couldn't bother them, either. She led him over to their table and he sat down while she went to acquire some breakfast for both of them.

A couple of minutes later, Rin returned with their meals: an orange and waffles for herself, a banana and pancakes for her brother. To drink, she brought a vanilla milkshake with two straws. Almost inaudibly, Len mumbled a thanks before starting to consume his meal. _Alone or not, he can't abandon his manners, _Rin affirmed. Despite her immense hunger, she didn't begin eating: instead, she commenced the construction of a waffle building.

"Lookie! It's the Tower. See, this hole would be our window," she said, pointing to a part of her structure. Len simply rolled his eyes; he wasn't very fond of playing with food. Taking note of his gesture and the meaning behind it, she abandoned the assembly and started devouring it instead.

"Hey, do you wanna volunteer to help with preparations for the crowning ceremony?" she suggested to her brother. He shook his head as sign of his disapproval of the idea.

"Yeah, it'd probably be too big of a hassle...we're better off just enjoying our break. We can spend a lot more time in the Royal Library, too," she noted.

The Royal Library was the twins' favourite place in Rubyca. It boasted of a vast collection of magical books and visiting it gave them the chance to get out of the Tower for a while. Of course, they had nothing against living there, but a change of scenery was nice from time to time. It was a huge establishment, so they could easily find a floor without visitors, where Len could feel at ease to speak to Rin. Over the years, they became well-acquainted with the Head Librarian, Honne Dell, who often let the young spellcasters help out with sorting the books. He basically considered them as employees without pay, and neither side had a problem with that.

After finishing their meal, they took out their used plates and the milkshake glass to the counter. Hand in hand, they returned to their room.

* * *

When they got back, Rin tossed her sandals aside, which Len picked up to tidily place them in their spot beside the door. She strode over to their dresser, removing her robe on the way and dropping it on the floor. She began rummaging among the meticulously placed piles of clothes, searching for something to wear. Len picked up her robe and removed his own, folding them to put them back in place. Witnessing the mess Rin was making, he decided to place them on a chair for the moment. He stood behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Rin dear, what are you up to?" he asked, slightly apprehensively.

"Looking for clothes, obviously!" she replied.

"Why does such a simple task require you to create a hellish chaos inside the dresser?" he inquired. _Why do I even bother cleaning up in the first place if she just ends up ruining it anyways?_

"That's because your piles don't make sense to me," she claimed, an adorable pout appearing on her face.

"Yeah, because it's completely illogical to have them according to type, with yours on the right and mine on the left side of each pile," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Rin's reaction to his teasing was a merciless jab of her elbow into his stomach. The sudden attack took him by surprise and he fell to his knees, clutching his stomach.

"Violence is never the answer, Riii~in," Len complained, stretching out the vowel of her name. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into his lap. He wrapped her in his arms and began leaving sweet kisses along her neck, breathing in the delicious orange scent of her youthful skin. She squeaked in delight, enjoying the moment. _Now this is the Len I like being around,_ she thought to herself in complete satisfaction.

After a few minutes, he stopped. Rin made a dissatisfied 'nyaa' sound, and turned her head to look him in the eyes, concern scrawled over them.

"Hey now, don't make such a face. I don't want to injure your pretty little neck like last time, that's all," he gave her his explanation.

"So, clothes, was it? I'll find something for the both of us," he informed his sister. She slid off his lap to allow him to stand up and face the disarray reigning in the dresser that Rin had left behind.

It took him mere moments to find suitable clothing. For Rin, he picked out a pastel orange, one-piece dress made of fine cloth with a black sash. For himself, he chose a yellow, linen shirt and black pants.

"How's this?" he asked her opinion as he turned around, showing her the dress. Rin jumped up in joy.

"Perfect!" she replied enthusiastically, snatching it from his hand. She immediately began pulling the nightgown over her head. His face reddened and he abruptly turned back to face the dresser. Despite the many years spent together, he couldn't get used to her lack of prudery. To divert his thoughts, he also changed clothes and started reorganizing the muddled piles. He also returned their robes to their proper spots and Rin handed the nightgown to him so he could put that away as well.

When he finished the task, he turned around to see that Rin's hair had suffered from the change of clothes. Without a word, he directed her towards the mirror and made her sit down on the stool in front of it. He took out her ribbon and hairpins and started brushing her hair with a comb from the table beside it. Once he was pleased with the state of her golden locks, he repositioned the hair accessories to where they belonged.

"You're absolutely gorgeous, my one and only Princess," he declared to her, admiring the reflection of his work in the mirror. Beaming, she looked up at him.

"Then, will you help this Princess with her Alchemy assignment?" she asked, batting her eyelashes for extra effectiveness. Len sighed.

"Fine, but I swear this is the last time. You have to be able to do this kind of stuff yourself," he lectured her a little. She shrugged it off and went to find her books.

The twins spent their days at ease, always finding something to occupy themselves with in an attempt to cover the grief that the murder of the King and the Queen had caused. The morning of the crowning ceremony, which was to be held late in the afternoon, they decided to visit the Royal Library.


	6. Chapter 5

Hatsune Miku received one task as a Teal Rose Knightess in preparation for the crowning ceremony: she was appointed to be the escort of the delegation from Lyrcast during their visit to the capital. Since she had arrived a day in advance, it gave her enough time to make the necessary arrangements.

The tealette gazed up at the sign of The Sugar-coated Camellia, with puzzlement written all over her expression. She had spent the entire day searching for a suitable tavern, and this was her last choice as a few stars were already sprinkled on the sky dyed with the rays of the setting sun.

"Who in their right mind gives a name like _that_ to a _tavern_?" she posed the question, the disbelief resounding in her tone.

From the outside, the establishment looked like all the other taverns of Rubyca. As she opened the door and stepped inside, the unique interior design pleasantly surprised her. The main color scheme was red and its variants, ranging from pastel pink to deep maroon. The poignant smell of a sweet incense wafted through the air, mixing with the various scents of tea. The area was divided into several sections with paper-thin walls bearing a flowery design, to allow a minimal level of privacy for the guests. The tables were short, therefore the guests sat around them on cushions.

Miku confidently strode over to the counter at the far end. The bartender was a young girl, seemingly no older than fifteen, yet she had an air of maturity around her as she diligently washed an ice-cream scooper. Her hair was strawberry pink with an unusual haircut: she had bangs, then some of her hair was chin-length and she also had a very long ponytail with a big, black ribbon tied on it. Her clothing was also peculiar: seemingly, it was a single piece of a fine, red fabric with an abstract design embroidered with gold thread on it that wrapped around her petite figure like a dress, which was tied in the middle with a pink sash. She looked up as she heard the footsteps of the approaching knightess.

"Welcome to The Sugar-coated Camellia! I'm Nekomura Iroha, owner of this tavern that also serves as a teahouse and ice-cream parlour. How can I help you?" she asked politely. She spoke with a mature voice; paired with such childlike features, it sent chills down Miku's spine. She sat down on one of the barstools.

"If it's possible, I'd like to reserve some rooms for tomorrow night. Also, do you have an area suitable for Carmpions?" the knightess inquired. Iroha put a finger on her lips as she pondered.

"Yes, I think that can be arranged," she replied before long. Miku gave a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, that'd be wonderful. You've turned this tavern into a really nice place," she complimented, still in awe.

"Thank you, your comment is appreciated. How many rooms would you need? There can be a maximum of five beds in each," Iroha informed her.

"I think three should be enough. You can write it under Hatsune Miku." The girl jotted down the information on a notepad with an elegant, white quill.

"Oh, I'd love to try out some of your tea. The most exotic one, please," the knightess gave her order.

"Find yourself an empty seat at one of the tables, I'll bring it to you shortly," Iroha said, before disappearing underneath the counter.

Miku abruptly stood up and felt an unexpected impact as she bumped into someone passing by, causing them both to fall down on the wooden floor. She felt a slight pain in her behind; the other person was unluckier. He had been carrying a large cup of ice cream, which the contents of now covered his face, the glass cup itself rolling away. Her face paled as she noticed the Crimson Wolf crest on his tunic. Underneath the immense amount of ice cream, she could pick out patches of cobalt blue hair. _Way to go Miku, out of all the people in Rubyca, you managed to crash into Shion Kaito, Commander of the Crimson Wolves! _

"I'm really sorry, Sir Shion! I was careless and didn't notice that someone was behind me..." her voice trailed off at the end of her apology. She saw his bottom lip quiver.

"Here, use this." She pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket and held it out to him. The man didn't take it; instead, he retrieved the cup and wiped the ice cream off his face into it.

"Or not..." Miku commented as she returned the handkerchief to her pocket.

"My ice cream...my poor, poor ice cream..." Kaito began lamenting his misfortune in a weak voice, completely unaware of her gesture.

"Like I said, I'm really sorry! I'll buy you another cup of ice cream, Sir Shion," she offered. Hearing the magic words, his head perked up and he finally took notice of the girl.

"Would you really?" he asked, his deep blue eyes shining with joy. Miku nodded in reply, the shock of seeing the Commander's behaviour rendering her incapable of speaking. _If I didn't know better, I'd swear he was just a child stuck in an adult's body. _Miku had seen him before on several occasions, and he had always given her the impression of a tall, dark and mysterious man.

"I mean, no, I can't allow such a beautiful young lady to pay in my stead," he said, attempting a charming smile. The ice cream still dripping from his hair defeated its purpose and only made Miku break out in laughter.

"Really, I insist. What if I buy it for myself and share it with you?" she suggested. _'Sisterhood of the Teal Rose, knightesses who lend their strength to those in need', eh? I'd bet the founders would also be having quite a laugh if they knew that it can also mean buying ice cream for the Commander of the Crimson Wolves, even if he's obviously out of his role tonight, _she made a comment to herself. After a minute of consideration, Kaito nodded his head in compliance.

He stood up, and extended a hand to Miku to help her up from the floor as well. She hesitated to take his hand. In the end, her pride as a knightess urged her to get to her feet without his assistance.

"What kind of flavours were they?" she inquired, as they walked towards the coolers.

"Three scoops of each," he replied, like it was absolutely normal. Miku's eyes widened at hearing his response.

"You have got to be kidding me. Are you the Ice Cream Monster?" she asked, half-jokingly and half-seriously. Kaito crossed his arms.

"No, of course not, that's ridiculous. I'm only drowning my sorrow in ice cream because it tastes better than alcohol," he stated. Realizing how silly his notion sounded spoken out loud, his cheeks reddened.

"I see. The passing of the King and Queen truly is a great loss," she mentioned.

"Ahh, yes, just the King and Queen..." Kaito confirmed, his odd phrasing passing unnoticed by Miku, who was busy buying the new cup of ice cream from the woman serving it.

She handed it to Kaito, and he led her back to his table. On their way, Miku picked up her tea from Iroha.

"Excuse me for my rudeness that I haven't asked you yet, Miss Teal Rose, but whose acquaintance was I fortunate to make?" he asked her as they settled down, considerably faring better at charming her than earlier. His elegant phrasing brought a soft pink blush to her face.

"Hatsune Miku. The fortune is all mine," she replied and took a sip of her tea.

"Wow, this is really delicious! You've got to try it," she suggested to Kaito, who had almost devoured the entire cup of ice cream already on his own.

Before Miku had a chance to react, Kaito took the teacup out of her hands and took a sip from it.

"You're quite right, this tea is delicious and goes well with the flavour of my ice cream," he confirmed, as he returned it to her.

Miku froze up from the surprise. _I'm stretching it a bit, I know, but is this what some consider an indirect kiss? Albeit a really, really, _really _indirect one,_ she mused. She tried to keep her flustered state from showing.

The sound of the clock tower tolling 10 o' clock resounded in the city. _Great, I have to get back to the Convent..._

"Again, I'm really sorry about what happened with your first round of ice cream, Sir Shion, but I'm afraid it's time for me to leave. It was a pleasure meeting you," she told him.

"No harm was done. Please, call me Kaito. That is, if you don't mind me addressing you as Miku. The pleasure was all mine," he said with another charming smile.

"Not at all. I'm sure we'll see each other tomorrow, at the crowning ceremony," she said while standing up. Miku kindly smiled as she departed, leaving the man behind to continue with the drowning of sorrows in the remaining ice cream.

* * *

"Hi Rin, hi Len. There's a huge stack of books waiting for you to put them away," Dell looked up from the computer to greet the young spellcasters as he saw them arrive from the corner of his eye. He briefly pointed to the piles he cited before returning to work.

"Nice to see you, too, Dell," Rin mentioned as she and Len passed him by on their way to the books. They loaded them in a cart and got to work.

It took them several hours to finish their task. Of course, they used a levitation spell to make things easier, although it only worked if they were in front of the right shelf and could see where they wanted to send the book.

Len was just finishing up with the last one, when they heard the echo of footsteps coming from the emergency staircase nearby. Rin instantly became curious. Looking around, she saw that there were a few other people browsing the shelves in this section of the library. A mischievous smile appeared on her lips. She slowly strolled towards the door of the emergency staircase. _One, two, three aaaaand..._she counted down, anticipating Len to notice her departure. On cue, he grabbed her arm.

"You hear the footsteps, too, don't you? I don't see an emergency happening, so since we can technically be considered as librarians here, it's our duty to investigate. I'm definitely going, and you know you can't say anything to stop me. Your choice if you wanna tag along or not," she stated matter-of-factly to her brother.

Len shot her a glare so icy, it could've frozen entire Diavolco five times over. Rin withstood it and stuck out her tongue to express her defiance. Len submissively sighed and loosened his grip on her arm. She continued walking towards the door, and he followed close behind her, like a shadow.

Rin carefully opened the door, only wide enough for the two of them to slip through it. By then, the footsteps had already ceased. The twins began ascending the steps. On the floor of the Restricted Books, the door was slightly ajar. Len's brotherly instincts started kicking in, so he stepped through the opening ahead of Rin.

They sneaked among the shelves, minding their footsteps so as to not alert the intruder. After a few minutes of wandering about, passing between two columns, Rin caught a glimpse of a scarlet cloak nearing the end of the corridor perpendicular to their direction, about 4 rows away. She touched Len's arm to attract his attention and they halted, hidden by the bookshelf. With extreme caution, Rin quickly pointed to the figure. The trespasser was wearing a hood, thus they couldn't discern if it was a man or a woman. One row at a time, they gradually approached the person, remaining completely silent, until a single bookshelf separated them. Since it would've been near-impossible to formulate a plan anyways, the female Kagamine jumped out from behind the bookshelf before her brother could intervene. He had no choice but to join her.

"Excuse me, may I ask what business you have in the Restricted Books section?" Rin asked abruptly in a sweet voice, startling the cloaked individual and the book they were holding slipped out of their hands.

The person in scarlet turned around and swiftly picked up their possession, causing the hood to fall back. It revealed chin-length, chocolate-brown hair and the piercing gaze of brown eyes: the culprit was none other than soon-to-be-Queen Meiko. Rin's hands flew to her mouth, keeping her jaw from dropping. Len bowed deeply, and soon Rin followed his lead with a curtsy.

"I-I apologize for not re-recognizing you, Your Majesty," she excused herself, the minor humiliation making her stutter. Such a state didn't last long; she almost immediately regained her composure and continued, driven by curiosity. "My question is still valid: what is Your Highness in need of from the Restricted Books section?"

"Ahh, I was merely returning a book pertaining to the crowning ceremony," she said calmly and at the same time slipped it into the empty spot on the shelf; not before Len could catch a glance of the cover, which had a circular piece of obsidian set into it.

"The better question is what are you children doing here? I do believe entry is forbidden for those unauthorized," Meiko spoke with superiority, turning around the situation and silencing any further questions Rin would've had.

"That's because, uhh...we heard the footsteps and as librarians we-" Rin began her explanation until the Princess cut her short.

"Oh? Is that so? I don't see your librarian badges anywhere. Lying isn't a very nice thing, especially to your Queen. Hurry along now, and I'll spare your heads," she threatened the twins, an evil glimmer in her eye. Intimidated by her menacing aura rather than her actual words, Len took his sister's hand and started pulling her along towards the emergency stairs before she could protest.

Neither had said a word until they returned to where they left the cart. Len locked Rin into his arms, and leaned close to her ear.

"Curiosity killed the cat, Rin. And you're far from having all your nine lives for that very reason," he whispered, still managing to convey how upset he was. Rin wriggled out of his tight hold.

"Ohhh come on, it wasn't that terrible. You don't think she'd _really_ decapitate us, do you? What kind of Qu-" Rin began asking until an interruption came up. That is to say, her mouth became occupied with something else: her brother's tongue.

"What were we talking about again?" she wondered distractedly, once Len had allowed her to breathe again. He patted her on the head, smirking. _It would've been troublesome if someone overheard us talking about what happened; good thing she can be shut up so easily._ He started pushing the cart down the corridor between the bookshelves, Rin following behind.


	7. Chapter 6

Meiko was leisurely sitting in the Queen's Chair of the Throne Room. The crowning ceremony was still a few hours away, although that didn't bother her in the least. Beside it was the empty King's Chair; both were placed at top of a couple of short, red marble stairs. The main chandelier wasn't lit and this room had no windows; a few candles mounted in glass bubbles served as the source of light, casting shadows over the walls. The double-winged mahogany doors opened, with the Commander of the Crimson Wolves striding through it.

"You requested my presence, Your Highness?" Kaito asked, bowing deeply as he arrived in front of Meiko, at the bottom of the steps. She had made some changes to the functioning of her guard, thus no one else was in their company at the moment.

"Yes, I did," she said curtly. A moment of ominous silence followed as her eyes inspected the man from head to toe. She beckoned towards the empty King's Chair beside her.

"Would you accept my offer to take that seat?" she asked him, smirking. In his astonishment, Kaito was at a loss for words. He cleared his throat in order to buy a little time before having to reply.

"I was not expecting such a proposition. Nevertheless, I decline," he gave his response, exuding confidence in his voice. Her smirk faded into a grimace.

"I figured it wouldn't be an easy task to convince you. After all, Commander is already a top position; it's unnecessary for you to aim higher," she deduced, finishing with a displeased sigh. She stood up from her seat and gracefully descended the steps, halting on the last one to be at eye-level with the knight.

"Even so, an immediate refusal? It clenches my heart, Kaito. Have you no love for your Queen? Imagine it for a moment: King Kaito and Queen Meiko...it has a lovely ring to it." She raised her hand to his cheek and trailed her fingers down his chest. He kept his composure, standing as still as a sculpture; the only thing he couldn't control was the rosy tinge that visibly coloured his cheek even in the dim light.

"Many noblemen of Diavolco would envy your position, Kaito." She leaned close to his ear before continuing. "It's a high honour that I don't offer unrestrainedly to anyone. Do you still wish to decline?"

"Ye-yes," he managed to stutter a short reply. He began feeling uneasy from Meiko's attempt at seducing him; his heart pounded in his chest, threatening to burst through his ribcage at any moment. Kaito had never regarded the Princess in her womanly nature; however, the lustfulness she exuded now was something no man could hold up against without a reaction.

"Insolent fool, you'll regret this," she hissed, her eyes shooting sparks at him. She stepped back to the top of the stairs.

"I suppose it would be of no entertainment value if it were so easy to bend you to my will. Using Hiyama had also become a bore as soon as I had him wrapped around my finger," she stated, changing her tactic. A mixture of puzzlement and disbelief appeared on the Commander's features.

"Oh yes, he was my pawn. His ambitions caused his downfall; when I no longer needed him, I disposed of your precious Vice-Commander with my own hands. That's right, I'm the one who murdered the former King and Queen as well," she revealed her secret without even waiting for Kaito to ask.

Incredible rage and fury flamed up inside him, distorting his expression. He instinctively placed a hand on the hilt of his sword that swung at his side, but hesitated about drawing it. Conflicting emotions swirled in his mind: as a knight, he had to take revenge for Kiyoteru, the King and the Queen; yet as a Crimson Wolf, he had sworn to protect the Royal Family, which only consisted of Princess Meiko at the moment.

"Oh my, I accidentally let slip the clandestine truth," she claimed with feigned innocence in her tone.

"I can't just let you go after that, can I? You have two choices: you willingly become my puppet to evade a similar fate, or you unwillingly become my puppet and join them on the other side after you've done my bidding," she proposed to him.

"Never," Kaito growled back without considering any other answer.

"What a shame. It would have been much more enjoyable for the both of us if you would've joined me of your own accord. I guess you leave me no other choice," she confirmed.

Meiko extended her right arm, the palm of her hand facing upwards. She moved her left hand to pass above it by about ten centimetres. The sweet scent of liquor began circulating in the Throne Room as a dark smoke swirled in her palm for a couple of seconds. When it disappeared, a spherical piece of black onyx, approximately the size of a walnut, remained in its place.

"Kurageo, te advoco! Constringe huius viri animus in umbram. Mea verba regant eius mentem," she recited the spell.

(Translation: Kurageo, I summon you! Bind this man's soul in shadow. Let my words control his mind.)

At that moment, the dark smoke enveloped the onyx again. The smell of liquor in the room became heavier. At the same time, similar wisps of smoke began spiralling around Kaito's legs from the floor, like a chain. He struggled to free himself, but it was entirely useless. Before long, his entire body was hidden in a cocoon of shadows. It stiffened for a moment before shattering into a million tiny pieces that sublimated into the air within seconds; the same happened to the smoke surrounding the onyx. There was no visible change in Kaito's appearance; except in the color of his irises. The deep blue was replaced with jet black. Meiko broke out in maniacal laughter.

"Listen, Kaito, my Shadow Puppet. You shall not reveal to anyone that I am the perpetrator behind the murders. You shall help me in unsealing Kurageo. You shall not speak of the true intention of this mission; you shall simply say that it's the Queen's orders. You shall collect the various magical items from all over Diavolco as they are mentioned in the following prophecy," she gave out the first part of her command. Meiko took a deep breath and closed her eyes before progressing.

"_The night Kurageo breaks free,  
When royal blood has been spilled,  
Staining the gems of Diavolco,  
Snow of Diamond,  
Sand of Topaz,  
Wood of Jade,  
Water of Aquamarine,  
As the Harvest Moon shines,  
The Shadows consume the Light._"

She opened her eyes after reciting the prophecy and continued with giving her command.

"You shall leave on the journey after the crowning ceremony. You shall act in a normal behaviour, like nothing happened. You shall enter Shadow Puppet state when I say 'Awaken, Kaito, my Shadow Puppet.' You shall leave Shadow Puppet state when I say 'Sleep, Kaito, my Shadow Puppet.' and snap my fingers," she finished elaborating her command.

The Princess made the spherical black onyx disappear the same way it had appeared: she passed her left hand above it and the dark smoke took it away, leaving behind a faint scent of liquor. Meiko returned to her seat in the Queen's Chair. She spoke the phrase and snapped her fingers. Kaito's eyes regained their original splendour of deep blue. He took a deep bow.

"You requested my presence, Your Highness?" he asked again, like the previous events had never happened.

"Yes, I did. Are the preparations for the crowning ceremony going according to plan?" she inquired. Her lips curled into a secretive smile.

"Certainly, Your Highness. Everything will be prepared in time," he replied.

"Thank you, you're dismissed," she told him. Kaito took another deep bow and exited the Throne Room. Meiko let out a hearty chuckle once she was alone again.

"Lovely, everything is proceeding without problems. Meeting those children in the library was unexpected, although with Kaito as my puppet, I can easily take care of them, if the need arises," she contemplated.

"May the second phase begin," she smugly announced to herself.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Latin grammar may not be perfect; I usually translate from Latin rather than to Latin. The "ge" in Kurageo is pronounced like in "get".


	8. Chapter 7

On the morning of the crowning ceremony, Miku woke up early in order to be at the city gate in time; she hadn't received information concerning the time of the Lyrcastians' arrival and didn't want them wandering around on their own. Or at least, she attempted to do so; for her, it was a feat that required immense willpower.

"Uugghh, waking up is really not my thing," she agonized, sprawled across her bed. She had already kicked off her covers so as to motivate herself to get up and get dressed into something warm. The Convent of the Sisterhood of the Teal Rose was a fort-like building, made of stone. Therefore, it was pretty chilly in the mornings, especially when the autumn morning's sunlight no longer radiated that much heat.

"C'mon Miku, you can do this. Really now, some people wake up even earlier. Just start with sitting up..." she encouraged herself through the process. Having accomplished that, she rubbed her eyes and stretched her limbs. Getting in the rhythm of it, she stood up from the bed before she could consider crawling back into it.

"Alright, so far, so good. Now, the final stage," she pushed herself on. Miku strode over to her window and threw the teal curtains open, permitting the sun's rays to invade the room. She opened the window to let some fresh air in.

"Okay, no turning back now. Mission Wake-Up, a success once again," she concluded. The knightess turned her back to the window and looked around her room.

Originally, it was a very plain room. Just the four walls, a window, a door, a bed and a small chest of drawers. Having received it quite early on, Miku had plenty of years to furnish it to her taste. The window received teal curtains that bore an embroidered design she added herself. An oval-shaped, teal rug made of a very soft material covered the stone floor. The small chest of drawers had been replaced with a big closet that had a separate compartment for her armour and a mirror set into one of the doors. She had also acquired a bookshelf that stored a variety of reading material. In addition, there was a wooden desk and a chair for her writing needs. The once bare walls were now decorated with paintings she had bought during her travels. Her favourite one depicted a large oak tree. It was part of her daily routine to spend a couple of minutes gazing it, like she was doing at the moment.

"So, let's start getting ready," she proposed to herself. Having gotten over the tough part of the morning, the actual waking up and getting out of bed, ten minutes sufficed for her to get prepared. Without further ado, she exited the room and left the Convent.

* * *

Miku meandered through the winding streets and avenues of Rubyca, making her way in the colossal crowd, heading towards the northern city gate. She heard the clock tower strike 9 o' clock.

"I'd imagine that if they're hunters, they probably don't have difficulties with waking up early. So, they could be arriving soon," she calculated.

The knightess took a seat on a bench at a distance from the gate, from which she could still easily see the arriving travelers as they assimilated into the swarm of people. In the depths of her boredom, she began whistling a carefree tune.

After a while, Miku noticed the heads of about a dozen Carmpions tower above the throng, the Lyrcastians by their side. The flow was already pulling them in, so she scrambled to her feet to meet up with them. As she arrived closer, she could see that the creatures were tied together in a line, the procession led by a young woman with long, salmon-pink hair and sapphire eyes that shone with authority. _That must be the leader of their delegation,_ she guessed. The knightess walked up to her.

"Greetings, you're the delegation representing Lyrcast at the crowning ceremony, am I correct?" she asked to ascertain her assumption.

"Yes, that's right. I'm the Head Huntress of Lyrcast, Megurine Luka. Who might you be?" the woman inquired, keeping a straight face.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Megurine. I'm a Knightess from the Sisterhood of the Teal Rose, Hatsune Miku. Welcome to Rubyca! I've been appointed as the escort of your company during your stay in the capital for the crowning ceremony," she explained, extending her arm for a handshake, accompanied by a friendly smile.

"Likewise. Thank you, we'll be in your care, Miss Hatsune." After a moment of uncertainty, Luka shook her hand.

"I've already found a place where you can stay that can also accommodate your Carmpions. Please, feel free to call me Miku; similarly, may I address you as Luka?" the girl offered, her smile unwavering.

"Of course, I don't mind," Luka replied. Miku's friendliness had already worn off on her, as she also let a small smile onto her lips.

"Alright then, we should get going. The Sugar-coated Camellia is almost on the other side of the city, but it's a really unique tavern that I'm sure you will find to be quite pleasant," the knightess informed her.

With the two of them in the lead, the group started moving along with the course of people towards their destination.

* * *

The group arrived in front of The Sugar-coated Camellia. Luka eyed the outer facade of the building sceptically. _This looks exactly like the hundred other taverns we passed by on our way here; no sign of uniqueness whatsoever, not counting the name, _she remarked.

"Don't worry, it really is unique on the inside," Miku told her as she noticed Luka's expression.

"Wait out here while I go get the owner. I doubt all these Carmpions would fit inside," she said with a chuckle.

The knightess walked inside, leaving the Lyrcastians to themselves. She returned in the company of a little girl with strawberry-pink hair, who introduced herself as Nekomura Iroha. Her mature voice despite her youthful looks took everyone by surprise. She guided them around to the back of the tavern. It was a grassy garden dotted with cherry blossom trees with a stable in the back.

After the Carmpions had deemed the stable fitting as their temporary housing, the Lyrcastians ventured inside the tavern itself. Their breaths were taken away as they stepped through the door. _Okay, so it truly is a unique tavern,_ Luka admitted. Miku snickered at their reaction, since she had anticipated it.

Once the guests had settled into their rooms, which were furnished in a similar style as the rest of the establishment, they came downstairs to eat something for lunch. Considering that both the hunters and the knightess had their pride, it took some persuading from Miku for them to accept that she'll be paying for their first meal as a welcome gift. She joined them at their table, quickly befriending them thanks to her outgoing attitude.

Following a short rest after the filled their stomach, as would be expected of an escort, Miku showed the Lyrcastians around Rubyca, touring the most important locations, like the clock tower in the main square. The Garnet Palace was omitted, taking into account that they would be seeing it soon anyways. Even so, they still had time to return to The Sugar-coated Camellia before having to attend the crowning ceremony. The knightess had to return to the Convent with the intention of changing into her armour, as is necessary for attending royal events like the crowning. By the time the sun began to dip below the horizon, Miku came back. By then, the Lyrcastians had also changed into suitable attire. All prepared, they set out towards the Garnet Palace.

* * *

The ceremony was to be held in the courtyard, which was approximately three times the size of the main square and that boasted of decent dimensions as well. A few hours remained before its start, yet the area was already beginning to fill up with the attendees.

Regardless of the difficulties of organizing a ceremony on such short notice, those in charge made sure to reserve enough place for the delegations arriving from the towns of Diavolco. As a result, the Lyrcastians had no trouble with finding a spot, since they were assigned to one already. From that point on, Miku left them in the care of an organizer because she had to join the ranks of the Teal Roses.

In a similar manner, Rin and Len arrived in the Garnet Palace as spellcasters from The Order of the Golden Magnolia with spots reserved for them as well, among a procession of a rainbow of coloured robes with Yowane Haku in the lead.

The courtyard was encircled by the Palace itself. A stage was set up for the crowning in front of the main doors, which were directly across from the main gates. A velvet carpet of a deep red shade marked the path that the Princess was to take: from a door on the left side of the building to the stage, the Crimson Wolves standing in a line on both sides of it. Hence the area of the courtyard limited by it served as the place for the important people attending. The delegations sat nearest to the carpet, then the spellcasters, with the Teal Roses being the closest to the stage. The other attendees were free to stand anywhere in the remaining parts of the courtyard.

On the stage itself stood Shion Kaito and Honne Dell. The Royal Library belonged directly to the Royal Family and as such, the Head Librarian had the duty of crowning the next ruler in line. The Commander had to be present in order to renew his oath to continue serving the heir to the throne. The crown was underneath a glass display cabinet atop a small wooden column. It was made of pure gold, generously decorated with glittering garnets and captivating rubies.

From where she stood, Miku had a clear view of the knight. She was recalling the events of the previous night, letting out a small chuckle. _A knight in shining armour by day, the Ice Cream Monster by night. _His gaze of deep blue was scouring the crowds, wary of suspicious activity. For a moment, his eyes met Miku's, recognizing her, and he sent a dashing smile her way. She returned the gesture with a quick grin. _So he remembers_, she concluded.

In the distance, the clock tower struck 6 o' clock. The clouds at the bottom of the sky were dyed in red by the rays of the setting sun. The courtyard was now completely filled with people, their loud chattering silenced by the ringing of the bell. The crowning ceremony was ready to start.


	9. Chapter 8

The doors at the start of the carpet slowly creaked open; the delegations stood up from their chairs and everyone turned their heads to see the arrival of Princess Meiko. She stepped out of the shadowy interior of the Garnet Palace. She wore a majestic dress of gold and red, truly befitting of royalty; the sparkle of the gems embellishing it complimented her gorgeous looks. With slow and careful steps, she proceeded along the path laid out before her. The Crimson Wolf guards bowed as she passed them by, the guests following suit. Finally, she reached the stage and Kaito escorted her up the couple of stairs leading up to it. She stopped in front of the wooden column holding the crown and turned to face the masses that have gathered.

"Greetings, dear citizens of Diavolco. I am grateful that so many of you had come to witness the crowning ceremony. The passing of the King and Queen has caused grief to us all, but life in Diavolco must not come to a halt. It is necessary that I, Princess Meiko, succeed the throne to guide our country during such dark times. I hope you have it in your heart to forgive me for requesting a private funeral for my beloved parents. Nevertheless, this is a joyous day; within moments, I shall be your Queen," she spoke to her subjects.

Dell removed the glass display box from above the crown. He cautiously took it in his hands and stepped on the stool beside the column, so he could place the symbol of power and sovereignty atop Meiko's head.

"As tradition dictates, by the power granted to the Head Librarian of the Royal Library, I now announce thee Queen Meiko of Diavolco." A wide grin appeared on her face as he spoke these words. The gathered guests started clapping and she curtsied. The new Queen turned slightly to the left, towards Kaito. The knight knelt down on one foot, placing his left hand upon the hilt of his sword and his right over his heart.

"I vow to you, Queen Meiko of Diavolco, in my duty as the Commander of the Crimson Wolves, the Royal Family's guard, that I shall protect you," he made his oath with his head slightly bowed. She placed a hand on his shoulder to signal that she accepts his pledge of loyalty. He rose afterwards and Meiko once again turned to the crowd to bestow upon them her second speech.

"I'm delighted to stand before you all as your new Queen. There is no reason for concern; the future of Diavolco is in good hands. I shall rule the country as I see fit and lead it to the best of my abilities. At the side of the former King and Queen, I have seen glimpses of the glorious fate of our homeland and I shall be the one to deliver that reality unto it. For now, let us look at the present; it is a night for merriment and glee. For the commoners, refreshments are prepared at the back of the courtyard. I invite the leaders arrived from afar to join me for a royal dinner, in order to familiarise myself with the exact state of the land. Once more, I thank you all for attending my crowning on this blessed evening," she spoke with an air of dignity.

Queen Meiko descended the stairs and headed back on the carpet towards the Palace, waving to the multitude of people, wearing her frozen, fake smile. Most of the Crimson Wolves also parted with her, leaving the guests to enjoy their feast in the courtyard. Merely a handful of them stayed, to ensure that the evening passes without incident.

* * *

Len felt uneasy from the Queen's words and the expression she wore while making her return to the safety of building's walls. _This crowning ceremony was nothing special...didn't she say the book she returned had something to do with it? I don't see why it's placed in the Restricted Section if it doesn't contain any kind of particular ritual,_ he mused. Rin may be the curious one, but Len's the one who takes note of the minute details. At that moment, his sister interrupted his thoughts.

"Hey, I'm hungry, let's grab something to eat. Lookie, they've got a ton of sweets on that table!" she exclaimed, pointing in its direction. She grabbed his arm and dragged him behind her.

Rin's statement was entirely correct: one of the many tables was brimming with desserts of all kind, a wide variety of mouth-watering pastries, cakes, pies, tarts and many more. She immediately found something to her liking: an appetizing orange chiffon cake. After she had acquired a plate and placed her treat on it, Len pulled her aside, below the archways of the Garnet Palace, where they could remain hidden from the eyes of the others. _Uh-oh, he probably has something urgent to say, _she figured. Behind the columns of the arches were conveniently placed benches, so the twins took a seat on one of them. He leaned close to her ear, draping his hand around her waist.

"Rin, we should go back to the library and take a look at _that_ book," he whispered.

"Which book?" she asked, a confused look on her face. Len sighed, and tilted his head towards stage where Meiko had been crowned.

"Uhhh, a recipe book for those scrumptious sweets?" she guessed, still clueless about what her brother was thinking of. He rolled his eyes in exasperation. Rin broke off a piece of the cake with her fork. Suddenly, realization hit her.

"Ohh, I remember! The one the Queen had stolen!" she shouted, twirling the utensil in her hand. Len grabbed on to it and stuffed the bite into her mouth, before his sister continued to blabber.

"Sheesh, Rin, mind your words, you don't know who could be listening," he scolded her, the vexation taking priority over keeping up his wall of silence.

"Like someone who could take an interest to what you're claiming?" a feminine voice coming from behind the column implied, startling the twins.

Two young women stepped into their view. One of them wore the Teal Rose Knightess armour and a mischievous smirk on her face; the other looked slightly older, the elegant pink dress she wore complimenting the shade of her hair.

"Well, that is to say..." Rin attempted to explain. She glanced over at Len, who had clamped his mouth shut. _Looks like I'm on my own,_ she noted.

"It wasn't actually the stealing we saw, but rather the returning of a book. It was in the Restricted Books section, though!" she clarified, with Len nodding in affirmation. The strangers observed them disbelievingly.

"And two teenagers like you know this, how?" the knightess asked. Her teal pigtails swayed in the light breeze.

"We work in the library, that's how. We heard the footsteps in the emergency stairway and went to check out who the intruder was. It turned out to be just the Queen, and she said it was a book about the crowning ceremony. She got a little bit scary as she sent us away, though...Anyways, for some reason, my brother wants to take a look at it," Rin delved deeper into details, at the same time leaning over to hug Len's shoulders.

"Well, your little story has really piqued my interest. So, why exactly do you want to find that book again?" the younger girl addressed herself directly to Len. An awkward silence set in as he refused to speak.

"He doesn't converse with people; other than me, of course. Even then, only if it's just the two of us," Rin informed them. The tealette laughed from amusement.

"That's really convenient," she noted. Len's face reddened from her comment.

"I wouldn't mind tagging along, if that's not a problem for you. This really sounds more interesting than a boring, official dinner. Unless you really want to attend, Luka," she proposed, directing her last sentence towards the pinkette.

"Heck, no. Schmoozing with the upper echelon is not what I'd have in mind for an ideal evening, I'd rather just send a replacement," the older woman agreed.

"Hmm, I guess it's alright. I mean, if you really don't have anything better to do," Rin reluctantly approved of their plans.

"That's settled, then. We're going on a late-night library visit!" the knightess announced, the enthusiasm quite apparent in her voice.

"Oh yes, we haven't even introduced ourselves yet. I'm Hatsune Miku, a knightess from the Sisterhood of the Teal Rose, but I suppose you can see that. This woman here is Megurine Luka, Head Huntress of Lyrcast," the girl clad in armour said, pointing to herself and her companion.

"Nice to meet you both. I'm Kagamine Rin, and my twin brother's called Len. We're both spellcasters from the Order of the Golden Magnolia," she presented themselves. "Let's get going!"

Rin abruptly stood up from the bench, Len doing the same. She held onto his hand and they headed towards the gates of the Garnet Palace, Miku and Luka following behind them.

* * *

The group of newly-made acquaintances arrived shortly in front of the Royal Library; the entire building was dark, since all the employees were at the crowning ceremony. Of course, it wasn't a non-stop library, though it usually closed later on in the evening. They opted for entering through the back door, so as to not attract the attention of the passersby wandering the streets.

As they stepped inside, Luka stared around in awe; she had never seen so many books collected in one place. They slowly made their way across the labyrinth of bookshelves in the dark. Suddenly, Rin halted, causing the others to bump into her.

"I'm so stupid, we don't need to go completely without a source of light!" she exclaimed. She spread out her hand, palm facing upwards.

"Lumen," Rin recited the spell for creating a ball of light in her hand. It had an orangey glow and it was enough for them to see where they were going without anyone noticing from the outside. Luka sniffed into the air, her nose faintly picking up the traces of an orange scent.

"Why does the library smell like oranges?" the huntress voiced her question.

"Ohh, that's just my magic. The stronger the spell, the stronger the scent. It's also different for each spellcaster. It has something to do with our will altering the natural state of things, and so the reaction discharges a signature scent. For me, it's oranges; for Len, it's bananas," she concluded her crash-course on the way magic works in Diavolco.

They continued on their path, finally reaching the door to the emergency stairway. The twins still leading the way hand-in-hand, they ascended the steps all the way to the top floor: the Restricted Books section.

"Uhh, Len? Do you remember where that book was? You made me completely forget..." she admitted, her cheeks turning a rosy pink as she remembered just how her brother managed that feat. He nodded with a grin; from this point on, he guided them through the columns and rows of bookshelves.

After a short while, they arrived at their destination. Within minutes, he found the book they were looking for: the piece of onyx set into the cover had a menacing shimmer to it from the glow of Rin's ball of light. The group encircled Len as he opened the book and began leafing through it.

"I'm no expert on magic and the like, but this doesn't really seem like a book about crowning ceremony traditions," Miku made her observation.

"You're right, it isn't. These are all very powerful spells...and not very nice ones, either. It looks like rituals for releasing dangerous monsters. The author was pretty stupid, though, because the resealing methods are right beside them," Rin added her remarks.

While flipping through it, they happened upon a ripped-out page. The four of them raised their heads from the book, the same expression of horror: widened eyes, paled complexion, dropped jaw. The same, frightening theory filled their minds.

"I-it can't be, ri-right?" Rin was the first to break the oppressing silence, her voice shaking.

"The Queen wouldn't want to destroy Diavolco, would she?" Luka chimed in, her voice sounding like a high-pitched squeak.

"There has to be some sort of explanation. Although, I'm getting a gut feeling that this is exactly what it looks to be," Miku concluded. The silence further weighed down on them, as their brains tried processing the incredulous information they had just received.

"As I see it, there's only one thing for us to do: team up and save Diavolco," the knightess announced calmly, her sense of adventure perking up. "We've got the instructions for it right here."

They returned their attention to the book, inspecting the page beside the ripped-out one: the 'instructions' Miku spoke of was a counter-prophecy.

"_Before the Shadows consume the Light,  
The menace can be brushed away.  
Seek the Amethyst and Jade,  
May they become your aid.  
The Maiden with eyes like the Sea and hair like the Sun,  
Bring her the Treasure of the Lake.  
Under the shine of the Harvest Moon,  
Sealed is Fate."_

"Alright, so 'the instructions' are not as straightforward as a cookie recipe, but that doesn't mean they can't be deciphered," Rin stated after having read it aloud.

"By the sound of it, we have time until the Harvest Moon, which will be upon us in about a month. I'd suggest for us to meet up tomorrow and think about this entire situation then, we're not in that big of a hurry. It's a little bit too much to take in at once," Luka expressed her opinion to the others.

"Yeah, that sounds reasonable," Miku agreed. "Do you two know where The Sugar-coated Camellia is?"

"Mhmh, we've passed by it a couple of times. Does meeting at 10 o' clock sound good?" Rin recommended.

"Perfect. Now we just need to copy this down; I'd really prefer not ripping it," Miku said. Len started the task at once, procuring a piece of paper and a pencil from his pocket.

Afterwards, they returned the book to its place on the shelf and made their way out of the library, following the same path they took upon entry. They began saying their goodbyes to each other.

"A knightess, a huntress and two spellcasters. Saving Diavolco will surely be a really fun adventure," Miku stated confidently, as they parted ways.


	10. Chapter 9

The following morning, like they had agreed, the band of self-appointed adventurers held their meeting at The Sugar-coated Camellia. Iroha had generously granted them one of the small, private rooms in the back of the tavern; therefore, they ordered an exquisite tea to show their appreciation of her gesture. The piece of paper bearing the counter-prophecy lay on the wooden, triangular table in front of them and they sat around it on soft cushions; Miku and Luka taking seat on separate sides, while Rin and Len were seated right beside each other on the third side.

"Let's take a look at it line by line, see where that gets us," Miku suggested.

"The beginning seems pretty straight-forward to me. The 'Shadows' must be the creature Queen Meiko is trying to release," Luka mentioned, hoping to be at least of a little help.

"Yeah...then the next phrase is pretty much saying that it's not an invincible freak of nature. But 'Seek the Amethyst and Jade'...that's not entirely so simple. The Jade can mean the Jade Forest, so it's probably referring to the Dryads living there. As for the Amethyst, no clue..." Rin began presenting the half-solutions Len came up with yesterday evening, back at the Tower. It sounded logical so far; Miku and Luka nodded their heads in understanding.

"Now, this 'Maiden' part is a bit tricky. That's basically true for every other girl native of Trincie, so we'll have some trouble with finding the right one. The 'Treasure of the Lake' is probably in the Aquamarine Lagoon. It sounds like the kind of thing you'd hear in fishermen's tales, so asking around in Spila Zullia would be our best bet," Rin concluded the theorizing.

"Awesome, looks like you already figured it out," Miku praised her. The blonde girl let out a nervous laugh.

"Actually, it was mostly Len...puzzles and riddles are his specialty. I'm just saying it for him," she explained, leaning over to hug her brother, who remained silent as a statue, calmly drinking his cup of tea.

"You'll have to talk to us sometime, you know," Luka noted, talking directly to the blond boy. He vigorously shook his head.

"Don't bother, it's useless. He's been like this for years; it has to be something incredibly important for him to speak. Nothing can permanently tear down his wall of silence," Rin told the other two.

"Challenge accepted!" Miku announced, flashing a huge grin. He facepalmed to show his displeasure at hearing her decision.

"Len's selective muteness aside, we need to plan our journey," Luka interjected, closing off further discussion of the matter. _Poor boy, I'm sure he has his reasons,_ she added to herself.

"Seeking the Dryads of Jade Forest would be a good start. They might have clues for the obscure parts of the counter-prophecy. So, when are we leaving?" the knightess asked, jumping right to the point, clearly ecstatic about their journey. _Now this is the kind of adventure fitting for a Teal Rose._

"Not so fast, Miku. I need to accompany the Lyrcastians back home. Also, we need to persuade the Order of the Golden Magnolia to excuse the twins for a while. 'We plan on running around Diavolco, following an enigmatic poem, to stop the newly-crowned Queen's evil plan' is such an unobjectionable motive; I can imagine that conversation going very well," Luka reasoned, with a dash of sarcasm in her tone.

"Psh, that's really not something that can stand in our way. Your friends can surely handle themselves on the way back; they seem like a tough bunch. If you insist, though, I can ask for another Teal Rose to go with them. As for the twins..." Miku took a moment to devise a strategy.

"Oh, I know! You'll request them, and me as well, to go on a mission. No disclosure of information needed for that in the system of the Sisterhood," the tealette improvised the solution to their problem.

"Cool, no classes for a while," was all Rin had to say on the matter.

"All of this can get arranged today. Since there'll be a lot of traffic leaving Rubyca, it really would be better to leave for Delmera tomorrow morning instead," the knightess began thinking about the details of their preparation.

"How do you plan on doing so? Walking would be a little slow," the pinkette commented.

"If there are no objections, I'd suggest taking a carriage. Considering that it's officially going to be a Teal Rose mission, none of us will need to buy tickets," Miku proposed. Everyone gave their approval.

A frown appeared on Luka's expression. _It can't be helped, I'll have to leave Natu behind...Carmpions weren't bred to go on a country-wide tour. _

"Alright, tomorrow morning, let's meet at the carriage station at 8 o' clock," Miku declared. After finishing their tea, they all headed off to make the necessary arrangements before their departure.

* * *

In the company of Luka, Miku returned to the Convent of the Sisterhood, in order to submit an official request for an assignment and obtain permission for Rin and Len to join them as well. Growing up as a Teal Rose had its advantages; they acquired the necessary papers without a problem. Afterwards, they went to the Tower of the Order to pass it onto Yowane Haku. They met with her personally, and profiting from the 'no obligatory disclosure' clause, they received her consent. Of course, only after promising to take really good care of the twins during their journey and to bring them back completely unharmed. They sent a short message to Rin and Len so as to inform them of the plan's success.

Official business completed, the two women parted ways: Miku went back to the Convent, while Luka returned to The Sugar-coated Camellia. There was no need to visit the market and stock up on supplies, due to the workings of Diavolco's carriages; purchasing supplies for the rest of their journey could be taken care of in Delmera.

Luka called together an impromptu meeting for the Lyrcastians, partially explaining the situation to them. She claimed that something urgent had popped up for her, so they had to return home on their own. The huntress appointed one of the more trusted members of the delegation to lead them on their way back, also leaving Natu in their care. Before retiring for the evening, Luka visited the stables to have a lengthy conversation with her beloved Carmpion, bearing in mind that they won't be able to see each other for a while.

For Rin and Len, this was going to be their first trip since moving to Rubyca. Therefore, much commotion ensued as they tried packing up their stuff.

"Argh, must you always torture me so?" Len posed the rhetorical question to his sister, with an annoyed tone.

Rin had dragged out two travelling backpacks from underneath their bed, flung wide open the doors of the dresser, and randomly started pulling out clothes and throwing them inside the bags. She stopped for a moment to sweetly giggle.

"Mhmh, it's fun~ to tease you," she replied with a smirk, in a joking tone. She continued her unorganized method of packing.

"Fun, you say?" Len crept up behind her and without further warning, began tickling her.

Rin dropped the shirt she was holding and broke out in uncontrollable laughter, wriggling and twisting from her brother's playful touches. After a while, she regained enough control over herself to commence a counterattack. The light-hearted laughter of the twins filled the room, unmindful of the important journey they were about to embark on.

As she started to tire, with a well-timed movement, he tackled her onto the bed and the tickle-war continued there. Before long, the Kagamines lay sprawled out over the covers, side by side, their faces flushed from all the excitement. When they had recovered their breaths, Len rolled over to rest his head on Rin's chest, hearing her still fast-paced heartbeat. He entwined his fingers with hers. With her free hand, she started toying around with his ponytail.

"Yup, very fun," she gave her delayed reply. "Your punishments are more like rewards."

Len raised his head and moved up on the bed so he was face to face with his twin. His expression showed that he was deep in thought. A few moments later, a mischievous grin appeared on his lips. Very slowly, he leaned closer, and all of a sudden, he bit her earlobe. She made her usual 'nyaa~' sound out of surprise. After the initial attack on the sensitive spot, he continued nibbling it. All done with utmost care, so as to not actually hurt her. The unusual experience made her skin tingle, in a not entirely unpleasant way. After a couple of minutes, he stopped.

"How's that for punishment?" he inquired.

"As I said: more like a reward. It felt sort of weird, but very nice at the same time, you know?" she tried describing it to him. In the end, she decided on giving her brother a demonstration.

Holding on to his shoulder, she pushed him flat onto his back so she could reach his ear. Like he had done to her, she bit his earlobe. On the contrary, Len had a different reaction. He let out a painful yelp; his sister was not as careful as he was about not injuring the other.

"When it's you doing it, it's definitely a punishment," he commented, rubbing his throbbing ear.

"Sorry, it wasn't entirely intentional," she apologized, wearing a cute pout. It was impossible for Len to be mad at such an expression for long.

"Ohhh, I know how to make it better," she suddenly said in a seductive tone.

Once more, she leaned over to his ear, and this time, she placed a tender kiss on it. Followed by another one. Then an encore of the first two. Gradually, she made her way along his jaw until her kisses reached his soft lips. His arms closed her into a tight embrace, as the short kisses melded into a single, very passionate one.

"All better now?" Rin asked a while later.

"Hmmm, not sure. You should treat me again to make sure it heals alright," he replied. She chuckled, flicking his nose.

"Yep, you're fine now," she concluded. "Now, go finish packing."

"Yes, ma'am," he acknowledged her order and got out of bed to do so. She stayed to observe him, turning over onto her stomach and dangling her meagre legs in the air.

* * *

The next morning, they all got to the carriage station in time, ready to set out on their adventure. As Miku had suspected, the crowd was no larger than on a usual day. With her lead, they boarded the carriage headed for Delmera. Luckily, they arrived early enough for there to be plenty of empty spots. Miku and Luka took a seat behind the twins. When the carriage finally took off, the enchantment began working on them, bringing them into a deep slumber. Rin was cradled in Len's arms, while Miku's head tilted onto Luka's shoulder.

The three days passed by without them noticing, and they awoke from their sleep as the carriage halted to a stop at Delmera's station. Similarly to their time of departure, it was morning. A unanimous grumbling of four stomachs decided their first destination: The Silver Gryphon.

"Yeah, this is how a tavern normally looks like," Miku explained to her companions who were looking around in awe, expecting something similar to The Sugar-coated Camellia.

They settled down at a free table and ordered breakfast. At the same time, they discussed what their next step should be.

"The Jade Forest has its own magical properties. It's like, almost a sentient being, with the Dryads taking care of... well, _her_. Time and space work a bit differently, too. Except for the northwest corner, where the Lyrcastians hunt. For some reason, that part is an entirely normal forest. The only thing we can do is enter the forest, and wish for her benevolence to guide us to where we need to arrive. We can basically call this a test of courage," Rin recited as much as she could remember from her lessons.

"All we really need to do is just buy regular supplies for a camping trip?" Miku wondered.

"Yes, that should be enough," Luka commented, considering that she had the most experience in the matter.

"Then, I suggest that we pass the night here, and spend the rest of the day buying what we need. We'll leave tomorrow morning," Miku declared.

After their meal, the knightess spoke to Miki and reserved three rooms. _We may be planning on saving Diavolco as a group effort, but it's really too early after meeting to reduce our personal space to this extent,_ she figured. They left their baggage in their rooms while they visited the market to procure the necessary supplies.

Upon returning, they ate dinner together and afterwards, retired to bed with the purpose of indulging in a good night's sleep. The wonders of the Jade Forest awaited them, and they needed to have as much energy as possible.


	11. Chapter 10

Due to years of habit she couldn't shake, Luka was the first to rise, even before dawn broke. She hadn't slept much to begin with: the various new lodgements over the past week had shaken her inner balance. Born and raised in Lyrcast, all this traveling at once was a bit too much for her to take in. She passed the time at her disposal with maintaining her bow, named Simetra, and arrows.

The twins were the next to wake up, as the sun had started rising, its soft rays of light peeking over the horizon, illuminating the slightly cloudy sky. Like any healthy teenager, they preferred staying under the warm, comfortable blankets rather than subjecting themselves to the cool temperature reigning in the rest of the room.

The epic adventure right up ahead meant no motivation for Miku; her resentment of waking up was more stubborn than to be brushed away as easily as that. On the contrary, her companions expected that her excitement about the journey would keep her from sleeping in; they figured she would've interrupted their slumber, and cruelly wake them up, like a hurricane passing through. Since that was not the case, and even the sun had begun to shine a little brighter, Luka deemed it necessary to check up on the usually overly-eager knightess.

She started knocking on Miku's door, lightly at first. Several moments passed without response, or any sign of life at all. She put more strength into her knocks, but still nothing. At this point, even Rin and Len had heard the knocking and got curious, so they joined Luka in the hallway. The woman relentlessly kept knocking, extraordinarily maintaining her composure while others would have long resorted to breaking through the door and barging in. It was actually Rin who first allowed the frustration to come over her.

"Seriously, how deep can she possibly sleep? The building might as well crumble on top of her, and she still wouldn't notice a thing," Rin channelled her annoyance into words.

The blonde youngster approached the door, and motioned for Luka to step aside. She grabbed onto the doorknob, and after half a minute of strangling the already lifeless object, she noticed that it was unlocked. She flung the door wide open and the three of them entered the room. Miku was snuggled so deep underneath the blanket that only a few stray strands of teal hair could be seen from underneath it. The covers rose and fell rhythmically, according to her breathing. They approached the bed, and Luka sat down on the edge of it.

"Hey, Miku, wake up, it's morning," she said in a motherly voice, while carefully shaking the mound that occupied the bed. No response whatsoever from said mound.

"Are you sure she's not in like, a coma or something?" Rin wondered, tilting her head to the side. Luka opened her mouth to respond, and then closed it again. She took a moment to consider that possibility.

"At this point, I'm not really sure...she's still breathing at least," she eventually replied.

"Mkays, let me give it a try," Rin offered. Luka scooted aside to give her the necessary space. With a brusque movement, the female Kagamine pulled the blanket off of the near-unconscious knightess. The sudden change of temperature made the tealette curl into an even smaller ball than she already was.

"WAKEY-WAKEY, MIKU!" Rin shouted as she grabbed her shoulders and began wildly shaking her. As if her conscious had been forcefully pushed back into her mind, Miku suddenly awoke, with an expression of bewilderment on her face. An incomprehensible string of words flooded out of her mouth.

"Good morning Miku, sleep well?" the blonde girl greeted her, a devilish grin playing on her lips. She replied with a groan, after finally realizing where she happened to be.

"Alright, Miss Sleepy-head, we haven't got all day. Meet you downstairs in ten minutes for breakfast. We'll just go ahead and order a spring onion omelette for you," Rin declared, letting go of Miku's shoulders. She instantly fell back into bed, lacking the willpower to support her own weight. Their mission accomplished, so to speak, the three others left the room and went downstairs to get started on that breakfast.

Miku rejoined them promptly at the table, excusing herself for giving them such trouble with waking her up; whereas she could force herself out of bed on most days, there were some occasions where it could easily be considered a miracle to succeed in waking up. After eating their morning meal, Miki agreed to take care of the rest of their baggage while they ventured into the Jade Forest, taking only what they would need during their camping trip. All prepared to face whatever awaited them, the little company left The Silver Gryphon and found their way out of Delmera.

* * *

An hour-long walk on a rarely-trodden dirt path brought them to the edge of the Jade Forest. It was aptly named: basking in sunlight, the foliage of the canopy looked like a large pile of brightly sparkling pieces of jade, with the tree trunks supporting their weight. They all stopped dead in their tracks upon setting their eyes on it; even Luka, since the added ambience of magic made it seem like the Jade Forest she used to know was something entirely separate from what presented itself before her now.

"So, are we going in or what?" Rin suddenly spoke up, as she became accustomed to the overwhelming presence of the forest. With that, the others also sobered up and they crossed over the edge of the woods. From that point on, there was no longer a single path to follow; the floor and undergrowth were equally sparse, permitting them to go whichever way they wanted to. The group kept going straight; or at least, what felt like 'straight' to them.

The more they wandered about, the stronger they could feel the reigning peculiar aura. The forest was motionless; yet very much alive. The chirping of birds resonated through the air. The combined scents of late-blooming flowers pleasured their noses.

They had been walking around for several hours, with no sign of approaching the Dryads' village. Getting a little exhausted and quite hungry, they stopped for a rest. Luka took it upon herself to prepare something to eat. The twins went to gather firewood, while Miku and Luka started chopping up vegetables for a stew. The ingredients were packaged in magical containers to keep them fresh for the entire duration of their expedition in the woods.

Suddenly, Rin's shrill cry broke the peacefulness. The two girls dropped the cooking materials from their hands and ran towards the direction they heard the scream from, Miku drawing her sword and Luka preparing her bow. As they arrived, they could see a fearsome monster poised for attack towering above the twins, who had fallen down when it had unexpectedly appeared from behind a tree.

This fearsome monster was a winged snake, about the size of a sapling. Its jade scales glittered in the sunlight shining through the foliage. The wings were spiny and webbed, of an emerald colour.

Luka started shooting arrows at the wings, while Miku began hacking away at its body with Tezafiris. The animal thrashed its tail, trying to knock over the knightess, but the agility she received from the years of training kept her mostly out of harm's way. Len scrambled to his feet, while Rin remained on the ground, still frozen from the shock caused by the creature suddenly appearing before them. He pulled her by the arms to a safe distance away from the creature. He took up a stable stance and turned towards it.

"Flammae!" he shouted, effectuating a series of complicated hand gestures. The strong scent of bananas dispersed into the air. He directed his palms towards the beast, shooting balls of fire at the snake's head. Noticing the smell of her brother's magic, Rin was released from the half-catatonic state.

"Catenae!" she enunciated clearly, placing her palms on the forest floor. The smell of oranges mixed with the banana, and glowing chains sprung from the ground, shackling the serpent in order to restrict its movements.

In a battle of four against one, victory was guaranteed. The chains started pulling it closer to the ground until it was completely tied down. As a final strike, Miku thrust her sword into its heart. After a last, dying spasm, the monster lay immobile.

Len fell to his knees from the sudden exertion. Rin closed him into her arms, placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Thanks, bro, you were amazing," she whispered a praise to him.

"Looks like we'll have snake-meat for the stew," Miku observed, in between heavy panting. Her comment warranted a chuckle from the others who were also trying to regain their breath. After a couple minutes of rest, Rin picked up the firewood they had dropped, while Len, Luka and Miku carried the beast back to their campsite.

* * *

Speeding up the process with the help of Rin's magic, Luka soon finished making the vegetable soup à la viande de serpent.

"This is really delicious!" Miku exclaimed upon tasting it, the twins nodding their head in agreement with her compliment.

"Thanks, but it's just a normal stew..." Luka said, with a kind, sheepish smile.

"So, we finally heard your voice when you cast that spell," Miku spoke to Len, but taking a seat beside Rin.

"That means 'danger' counts as a 'really important thing'," she continued her monologue.

"This leads to the conclusion that you'd say something if I were to do..." she paused for a moment, as she abruptly drew her sword and put Rin into a chokehold, pointing it to her neck. "...this?"

The knightess expected for Len's face to distort with anger; yet he remained calm, without uttering a single syllable. The tension built up between the tealette and the blond. In his mind, he sent the most colourful swears at her.

"Miku, let go of Rin, right this instant," Luka said in an intimidating tone, intolerant of any sort of opposition.

"But Luka, the challenge! I need to get Len to speak," the knightess replied, obviously taking no heed of the huntress' warning tone. Still in the chokehold, Rin's giggle shattered the tense ambiance.

"Miku, he knows you won't actually hurt me, so of course this won't work," she explained. Reluctantly, she let her free.

"Sorry, Rin...But mark my words, I _will_ break down that wall of silence of his," she stated, her voice saturated with determination. Len gave no reaction; he just lovingly embraced his sister, his face disappearing into her golden locks of hair.

* * *

Cleaning up the temporary campsite after themselves, they continued their hike in the Jade Forest. A couple of hours had once again passed without them finding any traces of the Dryads.

"That's it, I can't take it anymore," Rin announced all of a sudden, plopping down on the ground.

"C'mon Rin, just a little farther. The sun seems to be setting soon in here, so we won't be walking for much longer anyways," Luka assured her.

"Nuh-uh. Then we might as well stay here, no?" she countered, her usual cute pout appearing on her expression.

With a sigh, Len knelt down beside her. Now at eye-level, he meaningfully stared into her tired, aquamarine eyes. A silent conversation of frown, scowls, glares and gazes passed between them.

"Argh, fine! Let's keep going," Rin submitted herself to Len's will. He offered her his hand so as to help her up from the ground, which she gladly took.

They were about to continue pressing forward through the trees when the group heard a rustling noise from the branches above. By reflex, Luka armed Simetra and aimed it upwards.

"Who goes there?" Miku inquired, her eyes searching for the source of the noise.

A few seconds passed by without an answer, or any movement at all. Then, a small figure fell out of the canopy, landing right in front of them. It was a girl, seemingly a little bit older than Rin and slightly younger than Miku. She had short, fluffy green hair that reached to her shoulders, except for the strands bordering her face, which were slightly longer. Strangely, a pair of red goggles sat on top of her head. Her eyes were a dazzling hue of jade. Crystalline wings, sparkling in shades of emerald and jade, sprung from her back. She wore a dark orange vest with a short, frilly, light orange and white skirt, made from some sort of unusual fabric. A jade amulet was tied around her neck with a strip of leather, like a choker.

"I should be the one asking that!" the mysterious girl announced, putting her hands on her hips. Her voice had a nice melody; despite reprimanding them, it showed no ill intent. "What business do you have in the Jade Forest, roaming around from morn' 'till dusk?"

"We're looking for the Dryads' village," Miku responded on behalf of them all.

"Why would mere mortals wish to go there?" she further inquired, one-by-one inspecting them with her gaze.

"Why would you need to know?" Miku retorted without a second thought. The stranger laughed at her nerve to talk in such a cheeky manner.

"Because I am Gumi, one of the Dryads living in that village," she revealed to them, as if the wings weren't already a huge hint. "And I have a right to know who wishes to disturb us, and why."

"Hatsune Miku, knightess from the Sisterhood of the Teal Rose."

"Megurine Luka, head huntress of Lyrcast."

"Kagamine Rin, and my twin brother, Len. We're both spellcasters from the Order of the Golden Magnolia."

"We'd like to request the help of the Dryads; it's about the future of entire Diavolco," Miku added after their introductions. Upon hearing that, Gumi began stroking her chin, fluttering her wings as a little as she fell deep into thought.

"I see. I suppose that can be considered as a matter urgent enough to bother us with," she concluded after a minute of pondering. "Very well, I will lead you to our village."

"Thank you, we'd appreciate that," Luka put their gratitude into words, all of them bowing their heads.

Gumi turned her back to them and started humming an enchanting tune. A thin, green mist appeared in front of her, swirling and glittering. After a short while, it solidified into a wooden door. She placed her hand on the doorknob and looked to the group.

"Follow me, to Celmair, the Dryad village of the Jade Forest," she said with a warm, welcoming smile on her face, switching her attitude towards them.


	12. Chapter 11

**Author's note: **Crude language ahead, and a modified version of an adult theme. Also, I apologize in advance for the latter half of this chapter. It sort of...wrote itself and wouldnt let me scrap it.

* * *

Miku, Luka, Rin and Len found themselves right in the middle of Celmair after stepping through the door that Gumi had conjured. It was like an alternate dimension of the Jade Forest: the trees looked exactly the same; however, they were much bigger in both height and width, with the distance between them quite varying. Some were bunched together, others formed spiralling chains, a few stood alone. Along the trunks of the trees were several platforms, at differing altitudes, which served as landing pads for the Dryads, who hurriedly zigzagged from here to there in the air. Those with more time on their hands strolled along the forest floor, or casually floated a couple of centimetres above it. They all had the same, crystalline wings of jade as Gumi and their clothes were also made with the same, unusual fabric. That's where the resemblances ended, for the village looked like a living rainbow, with the inhabitants each representing diverse colour schemes. The area was immersed in a purplish, evening light: the sun had already set here. From what they could see through the foliage, the night sky was clear, painted with countless dazzling stars. Celmair had one more peculiarity: little, pastel-coloured balls of fluff with eyes bounced all over the place. An orange one suddenly jumped onto Gumi's shoulder. She greeted it with a wide smile and a pat on the top of the head-only body.

"Welcome to Celmair," she said to the awe-struck troupe, gesturing with outstretched arms towards the entirety of the settlement. She pointed to the creature on her shoulder. "This cute little thing is Torrca, my Twittle. They are the guardian spirits of the Jade Forest, and companions to us, Dryads. Do not even _think_ about touching them."

A melancholic smile appeared on Luka's expression. _Torrca is to her what Natu is to me, _she recognized. _I wouldn't appreciate anyone touching our Carmpions, either. _

"You have picked an excellent time to seek us, because we are holding a festival tonight. You can formally ask for our help during the event. It has barely started, so I will lead you there," Gumi explained. She immediately took off in one direction, the others following close behind.

On their way, the newcomers kept turning their heads in admiration of the beauty and elegance that Celmair possessed. If they thought the forest itself was magnificent, then the village had triple the effect on them. It was a sight no human before them had ever seen.

"It's amazing...beautiful...no, wait, dazzling...actually, stunning! Or better yet, magnificent...Rather, marvellous..." Rin began spouting synonyms in an attempt to describe her impression. Len kept nodding in agreement.

"You know what, I give up. Our language has no adjective to properly express all of _this_," she concluded, flailing her arms to show what 'this' entailed. Her brother chuckled at the conclusion of her musings.

* * *

At the end of the walk, they were at the outskirts of Celmair. It was a huge, grassy meadow filled with long tables laden with various foods. Of course, there was nothing they could recognize; but the mixed, heavenly smells already made their mouth water. Gumi lead them to a table with a few Dryads sitting around it, although with enough empty seats for them all. Gumi sat down on the unoccupied chair in the middle of the table. The female Dryad to her left placed a clover tiara in her hair. To her right, Miku took the seat the closest to her, followed by Luka, Rin and finally, Len.

"Before you indulge yourselves in our divine meal, I would like to hear about this urgent business you came to bother us with," Gumi requested of them. Miku cleared her throat.

"Is it sufficient for so few people to hear it?" she asked, glancing at the other Dryads at the table.

"Of course it is," Gumi scoffed. "I am the most important one among the Dryads you could possible speak to. In terms of your system, I would be the Queen, with the exception that I am by far not as distant from my people."

"A-ah, forgive me for my ignorance, Your Highness," Miku apologized, blushing from embarrassment.

"Please, drop the title. Just Gumi is fine," she excused her.

"A-alright. So, to business. Diavolco is in grave danger. A monster will be released on the Harvest Moon. We don't know what it is, but we do have the counter-prophecy that more or less tells us how to reseal it," Miku began to explain. _It wouldn't really be a good idea to tell her that it's our Queen who is behind all of it_, she figured. She pulled the note out of her pocket and handed it to Gumi.

"Hmmm, interesting," she remarked while reading it. "I suppose this 'Jade' would be me and that is why you came here."

"Yes, exactly," Miku confirmed the fact. "We're also hoping that you could give us some clues about the rest of it. Especially concerning the Amethyst and the Maiden."

"I guess I could help. But do not even think for a second that I am agreeing so easily. First, I need to make sure that you people are worthy of following through with this quest. In exchange for me solving your puzzle, you have to solve one of mine," she proposed.

"Challenge accepted!" the knightess declared instantly, grinning broadly.

Upon hearing her immediate reply, Luka quietly laughed to herself. _That girl, always jumping into things before thinking it through_, she noted.

"I see you at least have the adventurous spirit needed for it. I will give you the puzzle in the morning. For now, as your host, I would like you all to enjoy yourselves and fill your stomachs. I have brought to the attention of my Dryads that you are our guests during our festival," she announced.

"Thank you for your hospitality," the three girls said at once, with Len inaudibly mumbling along. With that, they left their seats and went to explore what all the other tables had to offer in terms of food, all going their separate ways.

* * *

On one of the tables, Miku found a row of large, crystal bowls containing the same, strange liquid. It had a syrupy consistency and the hue kept on changing across a wide range of colours. There was always a Dryad or two pouring themselves a spoonful of it into their terracotta mugs that they had taken from the smaller table beside the one bearing the beverage.

"How curious...I wonder what this could be?" she pondered out loud.

Without further hesitation, she got closer to the table and acquired a mug for herself, completely filling it with the drink. For a moment, she eyed it warily.

"It really can't be that bad if everyone's drinking it so enthusiastically," she reasoned, shrugging off all her worries about it. In a single go, she chugged it all down.

A melange of tastes exploded in her mouth and she could distinctly pick out that amongst the many, unknown ingredients, the concoction also contained spring onions.

"Woah, this is really, really delicious!" she exclaimed.

The effects of the brew didn't stop there: Miku started laughing merrily, feeling like she was floating on a cloud of happiness, a warm tingle creeping across her skin. The only thing that rained on her parade was the slight dizziness, but she found that to be strangely pleasant as well.

"The others have really got try this, it'll blow their minds. Luka first, then the twins," she decided, already filling a mug for the huntress.

* * *

It took a while for the knightess to locate Luka. Eventually, she found her sitting at a table in the company of several Dryads. She walked straight to her, interrupting their conversation.

"Hey Miku, what's that?" Luka asked as she laid eyes on the mug she was carrying.

"Drink first, ask questions later," she announced, cutting off a Dryad who was about to speak. Luka reluctantly took it from her hands.

"I don't know, this doesn't look too safe to me," she commented, the uneasiness audible in her voice as she inspected the liquid. She had a feeling that something was off with the tealette.

"It's fine, it's fine, just taste it already," Miku urged her on. The Dryads tried stifling their giggles, since they knew quite well what the syrup was.

With a resigning sigh, Luka put her trust in her companion. She slowly took a sip from the mug. When she realized how delectable it was, she began drinking it more eagerly. A similar ensemble of symptoms came over her.

"Ahhh, tuna," she remarked, letting out a content sigh after consuming the entire contents of the mug.

_Tuna? Must be a Lyrcastian idiom or something,_ Miku figured, shrugging.

"Told ya it was fine. Wanna come along and take some to the twins?" she offered, adding a giggle to the end of her sentence. Luka nodded in approval of the idea.

* * *

At the edge of the meadow, Rin was sitting in her brother's lap as they consumed the delicacies they had picked out.

"Mmmmm, I could totally live here for the rest of my life, eating all these scrumptious foods," Rin said, dreamily. Len gave a nod.

"Nyaa, Lennie, it's just the two of us, you're free to talk..." she complained. He shook his head in response.

"Seriously...why not?" she continued her grumbling. Len pointed to the crowd not too far from them.

Rin looked in that direction by reflex, even though she figured that that must be his reason. Unexpectedly, she saw Miku and Luka approaching them, each carrying a terracotta mug, laughing along the way.

"Heeeeey Rin, heeeeeey Len!" they simultaneously greeted the twins in a very cheerful tone. The two teenagers looked at them with an expression of surprise.

"Drink first, ask questions later!" Luka announced, repeating Miku's words from earlier, as they presented the mugs to them.

"It's really delicious!" Miku noted when she saw that they didn't immediately start drinking it. Rin and Len shared a worried glance, but soon took a taste of it. They came to the conclusion that if Luka approves, it must be okay.

"Oooh, you're right! It tastes like oranges!" Rin claimed excitedly, a huge grin spreading across her face.

"No, it's bananas," Len objected. Simultaneously, the girls' jaws dropped, their eyes widening upon hearing him speak.

"Len! You spoke! Challenge completed!" Miku yelled triumphantly, jumping up and down in joy. His face reddened from the humiliation.

"Shut the fuck up, bitch," he retorted, glaring at the tealette. If looks could kill, she would've immediately dropped dead. That is to say, if Len were to let her die so easily and peacefully. This glare was much worse than the one that could've potentially frozen Diavolco five times over. This glare felt like a million poisoned daggers piercing into your vital organs at once, then getting cut into a billion pieces by said daggers, only to be dropped into a pit filled with burning spikes further mincing you into a trillion molten bits; all in a best case scenario.

"It wasn't fucking fair! You tricked us into drinking that damn shit!" he kept screaming at her.

Rin slipped off of her brother's lap. The scene playing itself out before her was so entertaining that she found herself rolling on the ground, laughing. On an impulse, Luka joined in on both the rolling and laughing.

"All's fair in love and war~," Miku chimed in, with an insane laughter.

"I'll fucking kill you for this!" Len yelled his threat. He stood up, ready to pounce on Miku at any given moment.

"Ahahahah, bad Lennie! He's saying bad wordies!" Rin contributed to the conversation, halting the laughter for a moment.

"Bad boys need to be pu~nished," Luka added her own comment. The necessary action soon followed: she grabbed him by the legs and pulled him down to the ground. Miku also plopped down, snickering.

"What the fuuuuuck?" he shouted out in confusion. The girls' laughter increased in intensity and volume. It became contagious enough for Len to become involved as well. The four of them had been reduced to senselessly giggling figures on the floor.

"I have something important to say!" Rin exclaimed, ceasing the laughter and sitting up straight. The others followed suit.

"I lo~ove you a~all, ve~ery mu~uch!" she made her announcement. Afterwards, she pulled her companions into a group hug.

"I have something important to say, too!" Len spoke up. The girls clapped in anticipation.

"Rinnie, marry me!" he shouted, stretching his arms wide open.

"It's supposed to be a question, not an order, sillyface!" she teased him, giving him a light bonk on the head. She instantly appeased to him by putting her arms around his neck and pushing her lips onto his. Her momentum made them both fall back down onto the ground.

"She needs a ring, too," Luka added, but the twins were already too occupied with one another to hear her observation.

Len wrapped his sister in his arms, tightly hugging her. Their tongues danced in the melded space of their mouths. Their hearts violently thumped in their chests, to the same beat. As their passion deepened, they became more and more entangled in each other.

"You know, Luka, I wish I had a smokin' hot brother to make out with whenever I want," Miku mentioned to the pinkette sitting beside her, in between two giggle-fits.

"Yeah, it looks like fun~," she agreed.

All of a sudden, the world went black for all four of them.

* * *

"Rise and shine!" Gumi shouted to the four sleeping individuals. When the festival ended, the Dryads had found them passed out at the edge of the meadow, therefore they were kind enough to carry them back to Celmair and lay them down to rest on a fluffy mattress in one of the spare rooms of Gumi's Treehome.

Her voice worked like a magical enchantment; as a result, all of them, even including Miku, woke up at the same time. The memories of the night's events came flooding back at once for the entire group. In chorus, they all groaned, earning a hearty chuckle from Gumi.

"I can see that you tried out our Stardust Syrup," she stated, amusement in her tone. "It was, _interesting_, to see how humans handle it."

From the identical, weary expression they had, Gumi could tell that they, on the other hand, wouldn't merely call it 'interesting'.

"I shall leave you to get a hold of yourselves. When you are ready to solve my puzzle, come to the base of the tree, I will be waiting for you there," she informed them on her way out of the room.

"Rin, did I really...?" Len began asking his sister, too embarrassed to finish the entire sentence.

"Ooooh, the wall of silence stayed down for good!" the knightess quickly noted.

"Zip it, Miku," he snapped back at her, a scowl distorting his features.

"And he's not actually a potty-mouth, either!" she couldn't resist making the jab.

"Calm down, you two," Luka gently scolded them, yet in the voice intolerant of opposition. This time, they took heed of it. The banter was replaced with an uncomfortable silence. Thanks to Rin, it was soon replaced with an uncomfortable conversation.

"You did," she confirmed as a fact what he hoped to be just a figment of his imagination. A pink tinge crept to the twins' faces.

"I'm very sorry, I wasn't entirely myself and you can forget about it," he apologized, suddenly very interested in what the ceiling looked like.

"So you take it all back?" she asked him, suddenly very interested in what the floor looked like.

"Yes! Err, no! I mean, I'd rather ask you properly, later," he began explaining himself. "Most certainly _not_ when our friends have drugged us." He shot a nasty glance towards Miku and Luka.

"Awww, come on, it really wasn't all that horrible. I've seen worse in taverns," the knightess easily shrugged off the accusation of having done anything of a questionable nature. _Awesome, I went from 'bitch' to 'friend' in less than a day,_ she noted to herself.

"Simply because that stuff knocked us out pretty soon," he countered. "I don't even want to imagine what could've happened if it would've waited fifteen more minutes with making us unconscious."

"I doubt I would've had a problem with finding out..." Rin mumbled under her breath.

"Did you have something to say, Rin?" Luka inquired, barely having noticed that she spoke.

"Erm, no, not at all," she hurriedly replied, the blush on her cheeks deepening. Contrariwise, Len did hear what she said, thus his cheeks mirrored Rin's.

"Now then, are we going to waste our entire day or go solve Gumi's puzzle?" Miku posed the question, glancing from one person to the other. The answer was obvious, so they all clambered out of bed and headed down to meet the Dryad.

* * *

"Just about time! I was growing roots here," Gumi grumbled as the four of them finally made it to the base of the tree.

"Sorry, we had to set some things straight," Luka explained to her.

"I am sure of that," she commented with a chuckle. "Now, onto the puzzle. In light of recent events, I have decided to give you a hint on one part of the counter-prophecy beforehand." The group showed their gratitude with a delighted smile.

"I am surprised the spellcasters did not figure out what the Amethyst is. I suppose I should say 'who' instead of 'what'. This should be enough of a hint. If you are smart enough to figure it out now, I will give you the actual puzzle," she declared.

Len closed his eyes in order to concentrate. _Amethyst...spellcaster...person..._ His train of thought continued, searching through his memory of the things he had learned. Everybody remained silent so as to not bother him. A few minutes later, epiphany hit him.

"I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner! Throughout the history of spellcasters, there have been accounts of especially powerful ones. They didn't simply manipulate the existing particles directly around them for their spells; they possessed magical energy to amplify them and cast much stronger spells, sometimes even tripling their effectiveness. Such ability manifested itself with a change of eye-colour, to the many shades of purple, including amethyst. We simply need to find one of them living in this age," Len concluded.

Luka's face paled. Two words flashed in her mind. _No. way._ She had reached an epiphany of her own, remembering a meeting she was not likely to forget any time soon.

"I think I know where one is," she hesitantly spoke. "His name is Kamui Gakupo and he lives in Quartz Point." The others looked at her, wondering how she knew such information. They were aware that that was not the occasion to ask.

"Congratulations, you figured out the preliminary puzzle," Gumi praised them. "Time for the real deal." She stretched out her right palm, and snapped with her left. An odd object appeared: it was a sphere made of metal rods twisted together in strange ways, wrapping around small box at the center of it.

"The task is simple. Free the box from the metal cage. Inside it, you will find a hint for the identity of the Maiden. The metal is magic-resistant and the box will open when the metal is no longer touching it," the Dryad explained to them the workings of the contraption. As soon as she finished, Len snatched it from her hands and began twisting the metal rods around without speaking another word, completely focused on the puzzle at hand.

"Good luck with unlocking it. It is a puzzle that requires several days to solve. I would suggest for you to continue you on your journey in the meantime," she advised them.

"We really appreciate all your help, Gumi. We feel really honoured to have been granted the chance to visit Celmair," Miku expressed their feelings of gratitude towards her.

"You most certainly should be. I ask you to tell no one about what you have experienced here. Now the moment has come for you to return," she said with a smile.

Similarly to how they arrived, Gumi summoned the wooden door. After their farewells, the group stepped through it and returned to the Jade Forest, to the exact spot they left from.


	13. Chapter 12

Everything was as they had left it: all their belongings were scattered on the forest floor. The sun hadn't moved along the sky, either; it seemed like they were only gone for mere moments.

"Luka, how do you know Gakupo?" Miku voiced the question on everybody's mind.

"It was purely by accident. We ended up at Quartz Point with Natu and I almost shot an arrow through his head, thinking he was a wild animal. He lives in a cave up there and I think that kind of drove him crazy," she told the summary of the story.

"Then I guess that's our next destination," Miku declared. She took a step forward in a random direction, only to halt right afterwards.

"It's one thing that we came in, wandered about and got lucky with meeting Gumi. But how do we get out now?" she asked, turning towards Rin and Len. The boy paid no attention; he was too engrossed in solving the puzzle.

"Earlier, we wanted to find something _in_ the forest, so she eventually granted it to us. Now that we want to get _out_, I would suppose she'd let us leave if we start walking again," Rin theorized. At a lack of a better idea, they decided to go along with that solution.

Like before, they started marching through the woods on a seemingly 'straight' path. They kept walking and walking, yet the sun approached the horizon at a very slow pace. If it were competing in a race against a snail, the snail would have beaten the glowing disk of light two times over at the very least. As the hours passed, more and more winged snakes appeared in their way. Since the creatures no longer possessed the element of surprise, the group quickly settled into a rhythmic manner of beating them.

"This is getting ridiculous," Len announced after the most recent beast fell to the ground; they already lost count of how many they had defeated. "I can't unlock the puzzle if my hands are busy with shooting balls of fire all the time."

"Please, please, _please_ let us leave the forest!" Miku shouted her plea out of desperation to the trees towering above them.

After a short rest, they continued their trek, determined to reach the Diamond Peaks by nightfall. The time spent in Celmair did wonders to their endurance: normally, they would've long been too exhausted to keep going, but they still found energy in themselves to press onward.

* * *

Miku's appeal seemed to have its effect: the wave of winged snakes soon started to dwindle and shortly ceased. In about an hour, they finally reached the edge of the Jade Forest, where the mountains immediately began.

"Hm, looks like 'please' really is the magic word," the knightess noted as they took a step out from underneath the cover of the trees. The rays of the still-setting sun glinted on the steep boulders composing the peaks, creating many, miniature rainbows.

"Climbing these mountains will be different from the stroll in the woods. It takes a little while to get used to finding proper footholds. I should take the lead from here on out, also because I know which way we're going," Luka suggested to the others. Since it was quite logical, they all agreed. Rin went directly behind her, followed by Len, while Miku closed their ranks.

Now that they had exited the idiosyncratic Jade Forest, time returned to its regular flow. Rather than it being almost sundown, it was merely the middle of the afternoon.

"You've got to be kidding me," Rin complained upon noticing the irregularity of the time. "Someone needs to introduce the Jade Forest to the Laws of Nature." Her comment made the others chuckle, lightening their despair.

Slowly but surely, they proceeded along the slopes, gradually gaining altitude. In the sky endlessly extending above them, Luka spotted a massive, dark cloud coming their way. A large gust of wind gave signal of its arrival in the near future.

"We'll need to find a cave soon; a nasty storm is brewing up ahead. I wouldn't be surprised if it brought snow instead of rain," she informed the rest of the company.

However, the caves were only located higher up along the mountains; but the storm was too impatient to allow them to reach a place to stay while it passed. Before long, the occasional breeze became a constant, stormy wind, which immensely slowed down their pace. The heavy clouds began unloading their weight: at first, in the form of fluttering, fluffy snowflakes. Later on, their downfall increased in both intensity and quantity. Soon, they could barely see past their noses from the icy precipitation. They had to withstand the grim weather for quite a while until Luka finally managed to lead them to shelter.

"Uhh, where's Miku?" Rin posed the question as they could finally hear each other's voices upon entering the cave. Due to the blizzard, it was only now that they noticed that the knightess was no longer with them. The realization brought an expression of fright and worry onto their features.

"The snowstorm separated her from us. But we have no chance of finding her in these conditions if we were to go looking for her now. Nor do I want you two getting lost out there as well, and leaving you here on your own isn't an option, either. We have no choice but to wait for it to calm down a bit," Luka concluded, the unease audible in her voice.

"My, my, fancy that. Visitors at such an hour," an unknown voice spoke up from deeper inside the cave. The figure stepped out of the shadows, though Luka had already recognized their identity: it was none other than Gakupo, the crazy man living alone in a mountain cave. _Definitely can't leave them here on their own,_ she remarked to herself.

* * *

Miku was stranded on the face of a cliff. Her foot had gotten caught in between two rocks and by the time she freed it, the others had already advanced. She tried yelling to get their attention, but the wind was too loud.

"Alright Miku, stay calm. Wait here for the storm to pass and then try looking for them," she advised to herself.

In order to keep from losing too much body heat and to avoid getting completely covered in snow, she took small steps from side to side, but essentially remaining in the same area. All of a sudden, she bumped into something that was not there a couple of seconds ago. Her gaze travelled from the face of the rock wall to her side. The obstruction in her path was an animal: more precisely, a wolf.

It was a large, majestic beast that reached to her waist. It had thick, crimson fur; just by looking at it, Miku felt herself warm up a bit. Its eyes were of a deep blue colour, emanating strength. For some reason, fear did not come over the knightess; instead, she could feel relief wash over her. The wolf poked her with its nose and slightly bowed its head. She took it as a signal of peaceful intent, so she knelt down beside it and stroked its neck. Judging from the impression of its dominant aura, she was fairly certain that it was a male wolf.

"You're stuck in this storm, too?" she asked him in a friendly tone. Miku wasn't really expecting an answer, but the animal shook his head, and then motioned to his back. The gesture puzzled her for a moment.

"Ohhh, you want me to get on?" she inquired. This time, he gave her a nod. _Yay, I'm going delusional. Now really: what are the odds of meeting a wolf who understands human speech, in the middle of a blizzard? _Despite the surrealistic nature of the situation she was in, or maybe exactly because of it, Miku accepted the beast's offer and lay across his wide back, grasping into his fur. When she had positioned herself comfortably, he took a few careful steps at first, so as to get accustomed to her weight. Soon, he was already bounding and leaping among the snow-covered cliffs and boulders.

In a little while, they reached a relatively small cave: it was more like an indent in the face of the mountain. Upon their arrival, it wasn't entirely empty: there was a travelling bag in the corner, and a pile of wood prepared in advance for a campfire. The headroom was cramped: Miku couldn't stand completely upright when she got off the wolf. She sat down on the stone floor, the wolf lying down near her.

"Thanks for bringing me to safety," she expressed her gratitude to the creature with a smile, and scratched him behind the ear. A few minutes later, she directed her attention to the pile of twigs and sticks and tried to start a fire.

After several futile attempts, a spark caught and lit the wood. Within minutes, a decent fire was crackling, exuding small waves of heat. It was insubstantial compared to the wolf's high body temperature, but it sufficed to keep Miku from coming down with hypothermia. Sensing her occasional shivers, he moved from his spot and instead, curled around the girl. She comfortably snuggled herself into his fur. A couple of minutes later, she dozed off.

* * *

The knightess was awakened by feeling cold all of a sudden. When her eyes fluttered open, she realized that the fire had died out. Past the edge of the cave, she could see that it was the middle of the night and the snowstorm showed no intention of letting up, much less stopping. The animal's warmth around her had also disappeared. In its place, human arms enclosed her. She squirmed in their hold, so as to catch a glimpse of the stranger's identity. Cobalt blue hair entered her peripheral vision. _I'm really going delusional,_ Miku observed. _What in the world am I doing in here, sleeping with Kaito?_

The man was still asleep, though her squirming caused him to stir from his dreams. As his eyes opened, he caught her staring at his face, bewilderment scrawled across her expression. She instantly lowered her head from embarrassment, trying to hide the blush that started to bloom on her cheeks. He chuckled at her antics, achieving to make her blush even more. _I should sit up, but it's much warmer like this,_ she thought hesitantly.

"U-uhm, h-how...why...?" she began asking, her tongue all tied up and incapable of making coherent phrases.

"You're probably wondering where the wolf disappeared to, and how did I appear in his place," Kaito made sense of her half-spoken words, an enigmatic smile forming on his lips. She nodded in reply.

"Have you ever thought about why we're called the Crimson Wolves?" he posed the question to her. She looked into his deep blue eyes and it all clicked together, like pieces of a puzzle falling into place. The realization made her eyes widen in disbelief.

"Liar. That's not possible," she flat-out announced, denying the information she had just received. At the same time, she wriggled out of his embrace and sat up; he did the same to be able to look straight at her.

"I swear on my pride and honour as a knight that it is the pure truth," he proclaimed, placing his right hand over his heart and raising his left. She couldn't ignore the honesty shining from his gaze.

"The knights of the Crimson Wolves are all wolflings. Normally, it's a hereditary condition; but there have been cases of someone randomly receiving the ability, like myself. The pact formed between the Royal Family and the pack is absolute and regardless of origin, we must obey our calling," he explained it in more detail to her. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't pass on this information to anyone else."

"If it's really such a huge secret, then why did you turn back?" she justly asked, raising her eyebrow. Kaito nervously laughed.

"Staying in the wolf-form requires a lot of energy, so we only use it while it's necessary. I thought you'd still be asleep when I left, but alas, that was not the case," he revealed to her, scratching his chin.

"I see. In that case, thanks for saving me," she said with a kind smile.

"I couldn't look myself in the mirror if I were to abandon a damsel in distress, could I?" he commented, reciprocating the smile. However, such a claim only angered Miku, who turned her smile upside down, into a frown.

"Hardly a damsel in distress. I would've been fine on my own, thank you very much," she snapped back at him, in order to restore her dignity as a knightess.

"Says the girl who clung onto my fur like her life depended on it," he countered. For a moment, she was struck speechless.

"That's coming from the Ice Cream Monster whose entire _world_ is destroyed when so much as a bite goes to waste," she skilfully claimed the last word in the matter.

"Alright, you win, Miss Fearless Knightess," he admitted his defeat, adding a chuckle and a charming grin. The sudden praise brought a light pink color to her face.

"That aside, what are you doing in the Diamond Peaks? Shouldn't there be a lot of things to take care of with the new Queen taking over the throne?" she questioned him in order to change the subject. For a split second, a dark shadow passed across his eyes; Miku wasn't even sure she saw it.

"It's the Queen's orders that I'm taking care of. The same question applies to you," he quickly turned the conversation around. _I guess it wouldn't really be a good idea to pester him for more details, _she figured.

"Well...that's none of your business," she simply stated. _Wouldn't really be a good idea to tell him anything about our journey, either._

"Fair enough," he acquiesced.

The pause in the conversation allowed Miku's attention to be diverted. She was reminded of the fact that they were actually stranded in a cave because of a snowstorm and that the campfire had extinguished itself, hence she started to shiver a bit. Crawling on all fours, she approached the pile of wood to resuscitate the flame. Noticing the slight shaking of her figure, he unexpectedly hugged her as she came closer, pulling the girl into his lap.

"Heeeyyyy, what are you doing?" she protested, but only verbally. Contrariwise, her body had no complaints against the sudden warmth.

"Keeping you warm, obviously," he stated matter-of-factly, like it was the most natural thing to do with someone you've only met for the second time.

"You don't say," she replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "The fire I was about to rekindle can do that, too, you know."

"Would you prefer if I switched back to wolf-form?" he offered. He rested his chin on top of her head.

"No, thank you," she refused without having to think about it too long. "I can't have you wasting your energy on me again."

"It's not a waste if it's for a beautiful young lady," he reasoned with well-timed flattery. Miku was glad he couldn't see her face, for a flame was revived on her cheeks instead of on the firewood. She may be a tough, independent knightess, but at heart she was still a girl, inexperienced in dealing with men and their compliments. At a loss of how to react, she broke out in laughter.

"What do you find to be so amusing?" Kaito inquired; her reaction had confused him.

"Nothing," she responded innocently, her voice climbing into a higher pitch.

"A simple 'nothing' is always a 'something', coming from a girl," he kept pestering her to give a proper answer.

"So, which is it really? 'Beautiful young lady' or 'girl'?" she teased him, using it to evade replying.

"That's just a fraction of the countless ways I could describe you," he countered, not letting himself get cornered. "Would you like me to continue the list?"

"I'd rather pass," she declined, clearly losing this round of joking by having no witty remark to make.

A serene silence settled in between them. Although, it did not last very long: it was interrupted by the rumbling of Miku's stomach, which was soon echoed by Kaito. They both chuckled at the coincidental timing.

"I don't suppose you have any ice-cream with you?" he inquired, a hint of hopefulness in his tone. She shook her head.

"Nope, sorry, Mister Ice Cream Monster. It was Luka's turn to carry the food supplies, though we have none of it anyways," she replied.

"Ah, I see, that's alright. I do have some provisions with me that I'd gladly share with you," he told her. She was not in a position to turn his offer down.

She clambered out of his lap and while he looked through his travelling bag for something to eat, she took the chance to restore the campfire. _I won't deny that his embrace kept me pleasantly warm, but it's really more appropriate like this, _she concluded to herself.

"Who's this Luka person you mentioned?" he asked while passing half of the loaf of bread he had procured from his bag to her.

"Ohh, she's a friend I'm traveling with; the snowstorm separated us," she opted for giving a very basic explanation.

"In that case, I'll help you look for her when the storm subsides," he proposed.

"Thanks, but that won't be necessary. I'm very much capable of finding her on my own," she once again declined an offer of his, also to brush away any remaining impression Kaito may have had of her being a 'damsel in distress'.

"If you insist," he decided not to force the matter.

They spent the rest of the night making casual conversation, sharing their adventures and basically enjoying each other's company with the occasional, friendly teasing. After a couple of hours, Miku dozed off once more. Like the knight he was, Kaito couldn't let her sleep like that on the stone ground. The same as before, he lay down beside her and wrapped his arm around her. Since she was already long gone in the realm of dreams, she was unable to object. He couldn't help himself; he began caressing her soft, teal hair. His eyelids closed a while later, sending him into an ice-cream-filled dream until morning.


	14. Chapter 13

Luka, Len and Rin turned in the direction they heard the voice coming from. While the twins' expression was one of curiosity, hers was of distress. While their goal was indeed to locate Gakupo, and this encounter could be called a lucky coincidence, she would've preferred mentally preparing herself before meeting the creepy individual again.

"Ahhh, if it isn't the fair maiden from a short while ago, Miss Megurine Luka. I'm overjoyed to have the fortune to meet you again so soon," he greeted her, taking a bow. _Well, that makes one of us_, she made a comment to herself.

"If I may ask, who might your companions be?" he inquired, turning towards Rin and Len.

"Kagamine Rin, and my twin brother, Len. We're spellcasters," the girl took care of the introductions for the both of them. Even though he no longer had the wall of silence, all thanks to Miku, she was still the outgoing one who spoke to strangers more easily.

"Ah, I see; what a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Kamui Gakupo, of the same trade." Another bow accompanied his introduction. The twins eyed his uncommon attire strangely.

"What brings you to my home in such dire meteorological conditions?" he asked, looking over the visitors from head to toe.

"We've come to seek your aid, sir," Luka explained, already getting caught up in his pace and unintentionally switching to eloquent speech.

"Oh, how wonderful. It'd be to my utmost pleasure to be of assistance to you. Please, before you provide me with the details, come inside. It is far too chilly to discuss such crucial matters at the entrance," he said, ushering them deeper inside the cave with a hand gesture towards the shadows.

* * *

The three of them followed his lead in one row; the corridor of the cave was quite spacious. With a clap of his hands, two columns of small orbs of light illuminated their path. After a short walk, they reached the main chamber. It was a pentagonal room, simplistic in style, with a main color theme of purple and its many variants. In the middle was a proper campfire, encircled by boulders. Beside it was a metal pole, with a cauldron hanging on the protruding vertical limb, thus making it possible to position it above the fire when in use. Several large, globular objects made of a slightly bouncy material served as chairs. Two walls were lined with wooden cabinets. One contained various magical ingredients, judging from the numerous interesting instruments placed on the counter built into it. The sink placed on the flat surface of the other one led them to believe that it stored regular food items. Another, small corridor opened from the third wall, probably leading to his sleeping quarters. A bookshelf was hewn into the last wall, holding an immense amount of written documents.

"Please, make yourselves feel at home," he announced, beckoning towards the strange seats.

Urged by her curiosity that knows no boundaries, Rin was the first to dash forward and reserve a spot for herself. Plopping down on one of the chairs, she slowly sunk into its plush fabric, slightly rocking it in the process.

"Aaaahhh, this thing is so comfortable," she sighed contently, sprawling across it.

Hearing his sister's positive comment, Len sat down on the one to her right. He immediately pulled out the metal cage puzzle and continued to work on solving it. After a moment of hesitation, Luka occupied the one to her left. Once all of his guests were seated, Gakupo also sat down on a chair, across from them, on the other side of the fireplace. With a rod, he poked at the dwindling fire to breathe new life into it. _Even though he's a powerful spellcaster, he doesn't use magic for every little thing,_ the huntress noted the respectable trait to herself.

"Do inform me, what is the nature of the matter you require my help with?" the man inquired, getting right down to the point.

"We found a counter-prophecy, and we've come to the understanding that we need the help of a powerful spellcaster, who, at the current time, would be you," Luka explained. "Give me a moment to find it."

She began rummaging through their belonging in search of the note, to no avail. It dawned upon her that it had stayed in Miku's pocket.

"Problem. We left it with Miku," she said to the twins, her voice trembling upon the mention of their lost companion. Half-following the conversation, Len perked his head up.

"No worries, I have it memorized," he announced and afterwards recited it to Gakupo. "The Amethyst refers to you, sir." He promptly returned to messing about with the puzzle.

"Yes, it's as clear as the azure sky on a summer day. I am required for unlocking the full potential of the Treasure," he enlightened them.

"That means you know what it is?" Rin wondered, a sliver of hope brightening her tone.

"Dear child, my knowledge is vast, yet not limitless. There are some legends even I am unsure of the truths hiding behind them. On the contrary, I'm certain that a relic of unknown origin must necessitate an immense amount of magical energy to activate, regardless of its actual form," he further explained.

Luka mentally groaned. _He isn't implying that he's coming along, is he? _She kept a straight face to hide her annoyance due to the idea. There was only so much time she was capable of spending in the vicinity of someone who had such a peculiar presence.

"Very well, I shall comply with your request and accompany you to the Aquamarine Lagoon. It is within my ability to open up the portal at the top of Quartz Point in order to arrive to our destination faster, once the blizzard has sufficiently subsided," he offered to the group.

Jade Forest wasn't the only place in Diavolco that bore magical properties, though it was the biggest example. The Diamond Peaks had a single place where magic manifested itself: the very tip of Quartz Point. It was a one-way portal that could transport you to anywhere in Diavolco. It proved to be most useful for hikers lost in the mountains, for it provided them with a simple method of finding their way back home. If, however, one had no actual need of using it, magical energy was required to operate it.

"That'd be great!" Rin exclaimed. "But first, we'll need to find our friend, who's gotten stuck outside somewhere."

"I see. It pains me to say that I am unable to help at the moment; meddling with the weather is a dangerous art, even for an individual of my capabilities," he said regretfully.

The discussion was interrupted by the grumbling of a stomach. The perpetrator was Len; the boy looked up from the puzzle, a pink tinge bringing color to his cheeks, which made Rin giggle.

"How rude of me to have not offered my guests something to eat," Gakupo apologized. "Allow me to find something to nourish yourselves with."

"Can Luka cook something for us? Her food's delicious!" Rin interjected as the man was getting up from his chair. The unanticipated praise made the woman laugh nervously.

"Certainly, if it does not pose too much trouble for her," he accepted the girl's proposition. She turned to look at her, with a combined expression of hopefulness and anticipation. Resistance was futile; Luka's lips curled into a kind, motherly smile.

"Of course, I don't mind throwing something together," she gave her consent to cooking dinner for them. She stood up and headed towards the cabinets.

"In that case, permit me to assist you, Miss Megurine," Gakupo offered, following her.

"That's fine, I have no trouble with finding my way around in an unknown kitchen," she declined his proposal.

With a swift movement, she threw open the doors to take a look at what she had to work with. A yelp of surprise left her mouth: it was entirely filled with eggplants, eggplants and more eggplants.

"Oh gosh, don't you have _any_ normal food?" the question slipped out of her mouth in a slightly harsh way.

"I deeply regret that the contents of my cabinet have caused disappointment to the fair maiden. Nevertheless, I must object to the incredulous idea that eggplants are not considered 'normal' food," he combined the apology with a rebuke.

"I can admit to saying that eggplants themselves are normal. But a diet composed only of this one fruit? That's abnormal on any scale," the chef inside her spoke up, unmindful of his 'fair maiden' comment that she wouldn't have glided over in any other situation. "Though I suppose I'll just have to get creative with what I have at my disposal."

"Miss Megurine, even if my assistance is denied, may I remain to observe your creative process of preparing eggplants?" he requested from her, the enthusiasm clearly audible in his voice. _No doubt about it, his life of solitude has made some of his screws go loose. _

"As long as you won't interfere, sir," she gave her permission with a condition.

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Miss Megurine," he expressed his gratitude. "If it isn't to your discomfort, you may address me in a less formal manner, taking into consideration that we shall be comrades on the journey from this moment on."

"I see. Similarly, you can call me Luka instead of Miss Megurine," she complied with referring to each other on a first-name basis. "Now I'd prefer if you were to stay silent, so I can concentrate on making something edible out of all these eggplants."

* * *

Luka made everything she absolutely could with the limited variety of ingredients: mashed eggplants, grilled eggplants and fried eggplants, just to name a few. Gakupo's watchful and admiring gaze made her feel uneasy at first, but soon she was too caught up in the actual cooking to mind. The huntress even made an effort to stylishly arrange it on the clay plates he had provided her with.

Despite his hunger, Len was too absorbed in the puzzle to take a break to eat. For that reason, Rin took a seat beside him on the globular chair and alternated between feeding him bites and satisfying her own hunger.

"You are an angel sent from the clouds above to deliver eggplant delicacies unto the world," Gakupo announced after tasting her meal.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," the blonde girl added, grinning widely. Even Len took time to nod in approval of their observation.

All the praises coaxed a tiny blush onto Luka's cheeks. As she began eating her portion, she accepted that they were not just empty words. It's true that she was confident in her cooking skills, but even she didn't expect herself to be able to create something delicious by using only eggplants.

Having filled their empty stomachs, Rin nodded off to sleep beside Len. A short while later, cuddling her in his arms, the boy followed his sister's example and also fell asleep. A smile appeared on Luka's face as she observed them. _It must be nice to be young and in love_, she commented to herself. Intending to wash the dirty dishes, she picked up theirs and strode over to Gakupo to take his as well.

"I cannot agree to let the very hands that created a miracle of eggplants to waste themselves on cleaning filthy plates. As a token of my appreciation, allow me to do so in your place," he stated.

"Don't be silly; we're the guests in your home, it's only natural that I should clean up after ourselves," she reasoned.

"If such are your emotions pertaining to this issue, I propose a compromise. I shall wash the dishes and you may help by drying them," he suggested to her.

"I guess that's acceptable," she unwillingly agreed to the idea, pursing her lips.

Surprisingly, the process of working together wasn't as unpleasant as Luka thought it would be. She blinked twice, and the plates were already sparkly clean. He stayed true to their compromise and let her take care of drying them without his help. Having finished the task, they returned to the fireplace and took their seats.

"Do you have a spare blanket the twins could use? I don't want them catching a cold," she asked him.

"Certainly, I'll bring one at once," he replied, soon disappearing into the small corridor.

He shortly returned, carrying the warmest-looking duvets Luka had ever seen. She took it from his hands, their fingers briefly brushing each other during the exchange. The contact sent sparks scattering all over her body; she dismissed it as the effect of his magical energy. She bent over to carefully lay the blanket on the peacefully sleeping Kagamines. As she straightened up, she felt another duvet getting wrapped around her figure. The hold of Gakupo's strong arms only lasted for a short-lived moment. Grabbing the edges to keep the source of warmth in place, she turned to face him, wearing an expression of puzzlement.

"It would put me to shame if the discomfort of illness were to befall upon my Eggplant Goddess. I sincerely hope that you are not distressed from my actions," he explained himself, a hint of his newfound obsession for the woman apparent in his tone. Frankly, it completely freaked her out.

"Uhm, thank you, I guess. I'd prefer if you'd stick with just Luka, though," she told him, anxiously diverting her gaze from the spellcaster to the rocky floor.

"As you wish, Mi-, Egg-...Luka," he said, eventually stumbling upon the correct name, meriting a chuckle from her. He took a seat on the globular chair beside her. _Gakupo's only human, too, _she reminded herself. _Well, mostly at least._ Shortly afterwards, due to the cosiness of the blanket she had received, her eyelids drooped and she fell asleep.


	15. Chapter 14

Miku woke up as a particularly chilling wind blew through the crevice that served as her shelter from the blizzard. Despite that, she was greeted with the sight of a small fire as her eyes opened. She inched closer to it, her knees pulled up and her palms outstretched in an attempt to absorb the warmth. Vague memories of the night flashed up in her mind. She looked around the small cave, but found no remaining signs of Kaito.

"Was he really here or did I just dream the entire thing?" she posed the question to herself. "Some knight he is, disappearing by morning without a word..."

She peered out, establishing the fact that the blizzard had cleared up, leaving behind nothing but clear blue skies. Once the fire had entirely died out, she gathered the motivation to leave. Crawling out of the space, a breathtaking sight spread itself out before her eyes. An even, untouched layer of snow covered the surrounding boulders. The pure white glittered from the bright rays of sunlight that showered upon it from the glowing disc that had already risen above the horizon. She took a step forward, and the snow sunk underneath her feet with a crisp, crunching sound.

"Alright, Miku, time to go find your friends," she urged herself forward. Sticking close to the rock wall, she began walking along it with careful steps.

* * *

Luka's dreams were disturbed by the clinking noise of metal against metal. Opening her eyes, she saw that Len was already awake; relentlessly working on solving the puzzle he had received from Gumi. Rin's head rested on his chest, the girl still asleep, unbothered by the clattering so close to her ear.

"Good morning," she greeted him, sitting up on the chair that had served as her bed. It proved to be quite suitable for the change in purpose. All her muscles felt completely relaxed, with no trace of exhaustion left behind, like she had slept for an entire week rather than a single night.

"Same to you," the boy replied with a smile, looking up for a moment.

"Any luck?" she inquired. "You've been fooling around with it for quite a while."

"It's pretty tricky, but I've mostly gotten the hang of it now. Another day or two and I'll have it solved," he told her. Even while speaking, his fingers were preoccupied by the metal cage.

Deciding not to bother him further, she didn't continue the conversation. Instead, she got out of the globular chair and started preparing something for breakfast. She was sick from the idea of another entirely eggplant-centric meal, so she utilized some of their provisions. By the time she was done, Rin had woken up and Gakupo had also appeared, busy at the moment with lighting the fire anew. Despite the lack of eggplant in the dish, he was still rather delighted to eat a creation of Luka's culinary skills. Their energy replenished, they could set out to find the knightess.

"It is unnecessary for you all to endure the harsh conditions of a searching expedition in the mountains. It is within my power to find her using a tracer orb," the man offered.

Luka let out a sigh of relief. She wasn't too keen about pointlessly putting the twins in danger: whether that danger meant climbing the snowy rocks or staying behind with the peculiar spellcaster.

"In order to succeed, your help is needed to depict your friend to the orb," he said, turning to the twins.

Even Len agreed to help, putting away the puzzle for a while. He set aside the mixed emotions he had for the tealette, which were brought on by his misfortunate experiences with her. _She's still a companion on our journey, after all_, he reasoned.

The three spellcasters stood in a triangle, a short distance away from the fireplace. Luka took a few steps back, preferring to observe them from afar where she couldn't accidentally interfere. Gakupo put the tips of his fingers together and closed his eyes. The scent of eggplants circulated in the room. Within seconds, a violet speck of light appeared in the enclosed space between his fingers. It progressively grew in size and its colour became more intense. When it was about to overspill from the cage of his digits, he opened his eyes, the amethyst irises practically shining. The orb stopped its growth and began rhythmically pulsating.

"Now, imagine your friend in your mind and touch the orb with your right index finger," he instructed the twins.

To facilitate the process of picturing her, they closed their eyes. When their fingers made contact with the orb, the faint scent of oranges and bananas combined with the dominant eggplant. The magical ball of energy also changed in hue: the deep purple was now decorated with crisscrossing lines of yellow and orange.

"Thank you, that should suffice," he signalled for them to stop. They opened their eyes and pulled their fingers away at once.

The colourful sphere fell to the ground, spinning rapidly. All of a sudden, it came to a halt. After a few seconds of pause, it started to bounce in place; the tiny jumps became bigger leaps, until it reached the height of their knees. At that point, it bounded forward, in the direction of the main corridor. The four of them, since Luka had understandably also become curious, followed it along the passageway, all the way to the entrance of the cave. They could see that the blizzard had left behind a blanket of snow on the scenery. But the orb paid no mind to that: it bounced on the fresh snow without a problem, leaving little, circular impressions in it. The group stayed there, impatiently awaiting its return, hopefully alongside Miku.

* * *

The knightess ambled along slowly on the mountain path, for fear of slipping. When she had come quite a distance from the small grotto, a strange object of unknown origin entered her line of vision.

"What could that be? I really hope I'm not going delusional for real this time," she speculated, waiting for it to come closer so she could identify it.

The foreign thing turned out to be a ball of light bouncing straight towards her, with a colour combination of purple, yellow and orange. Miku sniffed into the air, recognizing the scent of eggplant, banana and orange emanating from the orb.

"Looks like Rin and Len had a hand in creating this thing. Wouldn't be surprising if the third component is the Amethyst's magic," she reasoned.

When it arrived, the sphere took a huge leap and was at eye-level with the girl. She reached out a hand to touch it, thus making it circulate around her head, while occasionally flashing. After about three laps around her head, it hovered in front of her, remaining in mid-air like that for a few moments. Following the little routine, it returned to bouncing in the snow. At a much slower pace than before, it jumped along the path it came, enabling Miku to go after it.

* * *

Before long, the orb had guided her to an area with several caves beside one another. It began flashing more often, so Miku quickened her pace, hoping that it meant she was getting closer to the others. Sure enough, she noticed several figures at the entrance of a cave. From that point on, she dashed forward, at one moment almost falling flat on her face.

"Good morning, everyone!" she shouted when she was within hearing distance. As she stepped underneath the cover of the cavern, the orb disappeared with a popping sound.

"Yay, Miku lives!" Rin exclaimed with a wide grin, trapping the knightess into a hug.

"Welcome back," Len simply stated. Naturally, he had the puzzle to work on. Not to mention, emotional reunions weren't usually his thing.

"I'm so sorry for leaving you behind! We didn't notice because of the blizzard..." Luka added, with an apparent tone of regret. She also joined in on the hug. "I'm glad you survived safely. How did you manage that, anyways?"

"Aahhh, well...I...found a crevice and passed the night there. It really wasn't that bad," she gave a shortened version of the events. _It's perfectly fine if I leave out the part with Kaito, lest I accidentally let his secret slip. If indeed I didn't just dream the whole thing,_ she concluded. Looking around, she finally took notice of the unknown man.

"Hello, I'm Hatsune Miku," she introduced herself to him. "I guess you must be Kamui Gakupo?"

"Greetings, Miss Hatsune. Indeed, I am," he confirmed her presumption, taking a bow. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise," she replied.

"You must be quite hungry. I made enough breakfast so you can eat from it, too," Luka offered.

With that, they returned to the interior of the cave. Setting eyes on the globular seats, the tealette took one into her possession.

"Ooohh, this is really strange, yet comfortable at the same time," she made her observation, letting herself sink into the material.

While she was eating, the others told her about the plan to use the portal as a means of getting to the Aquamarine Lagoon in order to spare themselves the slippery descent on the slopes and a journey of several days. Needless to say, she had no objection to the idea. Gathering their belongings, they set out to overcome the short, remaining distance to the peak of Quartz Point.

* * *

Upon their arrival, a glamorous view laid itself out before them. The parts they had seen from lower down on the mountains gave a different impression because of their changed point of view. The mountaintops looked like pastries covered with white frosting, the glimmering sunlight enhancing their elegant beauty. The fresh, mountain air filled their lungs. The very top of Quartz Point was different from its surroundings: instead of a peak, it was more like an oval landing, free of snow. Rather than rock, it was a transparent crystal layer, capturing the light into tiny rainbows on its surface.

"For the purpose of opening the portal, it is needed that you all assemble around the perimeter of the landing," Gakupo instructed them. They did as they were told, Miku and Luka on his left, while Len and Rin stood on his right.

"Excellent. From here forth, regardless of what you may see, please refrain from moving until I give a signal," he warned them in advance. They nodded to show that they understood him loud and clear.

Gakupo closed his eyes and pressed his palms together. A wisp of purple smoke began twirling around his arms, while the smell of eggplants thoroughly saturated the air. He pointed his palms to the center of the oval area, the movement inciting the wisp of smoke to spin off of his arms and penetrate the crystal. In less than a minute, the transparent layer had gained an indigo shade. The spellcaster opened his eyes, the amethyst irises shining. Suddenly, a spark flashed through the crystal. At the center of it, a small whirlpool of lilac light was set in motion. It gradually became bigger until it covered most of the peak, though its speed remained slow and mesmerizing.

"On the count of three, jump!" he shouted. "One..."

"Through the mountain hole we go," Miku quickly remarked to herself.

"Two..." The group prepared themselves for the leap.

"Three!" As the countdown ended, they simultaneously hopped into the portal.

* * *

Once inside the portal, gravity ceased to exist; the group of adventurers felt like they were floating in space. Their eyesight was overwhelmed by a palette of colours surrounding them, similarly to a surreal dream. A myriad of instrumental sounds played around with their hearing. A symphony of sweet scents teased their noses. A variety of tastes sent their tongues into utter confusion. Parallel sensations danced along their skin: hot and cold, moist and dry, fluffy and scratchy, poking and tickling. The many stimuli affecting them blurred together after a while, hence creating an effect closely resembling synaesthesia.

All of a sudden, the incredible experience came to an end as the law of universal gravitation was reborn and influenced them once more. They could feel themselves falling through the air and eventually landing on lush grass. Looking around, they saw that the portal had dropped them at the bank of the Sapphire River, where the channel leading to the Aquamarine Lagoon branched from it. Not too far away, the small houses of Spila Zullia stood out on the relatively flat landscape.

"Wow, that was really something else," Miku was the first to comment on their trip, breaking the daze it had cast upon them.

"That's for sure," Rin agreed with her observation. "It was the craziest thing I've ever lived through, and I'm saying that after the events with the Stardust Syrup."

Luka chuckled at the mention of their interesting night. At the same time, Len scrunched up his nose in discomfort; it was something he wasn't very fond of remembering. Sensing that crucial information was being withheld from him, Gakupo's expression was one of puzzlement.

"Alright, since we all arrived safe and sound, we really ought to head to Spila Zullia," the knightess proposed. "If we're lucky, we'll have some time on our hands to gather some information about the Treasure."

With that, they set off in the direction of the town, following the channel. Walking at an easy pace, they reached the gates in a few hours. Once inside the town, they headed towards Moonwave, a tavern near the docks. They came to the conclusion that if they want to learn about fishermen's tales pertaining to the Lagoon, it would be the best place to start.


	16. Chapter 15

After a little while of wandering around in Spila Zullia, they reached their destination. The Moonwave differed from regular taverns in the sense that it was a large ship anchored in the harbour. It was a vessel of three masts, each with several sails on it, made from light blue fabric. It was constructed from a dark-coloured wood, kept in a decent state. The bow was decorated with the traditional depiction of a mermaid, the long bowsprit engraved with an intricate design of swirls and spirals, the hull adorned with many jellyfish. A short bridge led onto the deck, which was littered with barrels and crates. Going down the hatch, they entered the hold. It was the main area for the guests to assemble, with a long counter stretching along the right side while the rest was filled with tables. Since it was the middle of the day, the tavern was only about a third full with people. So as to speed up the process of gathering information, they split up to ask around. As it was to be expected, Len preferred reserving a table for the group and continued working on the puzzle that was still too stubborn to reveal its secrets to the boy.

"The Treasure of the Lake? Why, that's a cave filled with more gems than stars you can count on a clear evening!"

"Silly child, it's nothing but a myth. What do they teach the youngsters nowadays?"

"Ohhh, it's a huge barrel of rum! Or beer. Well, same difference. A fine drink for a fisherman's soul."

"You can give up on getting it, whatever it may be, Miss. It's guarded by a mighty sea monster."

The answers they received were all over the place. Each person had their own idea about the Treasure. There were various mentions of something protecting it, but that was the only common factor, for the identity of the creature itself varied from a twelve-headed water dragon to a bloodthirsty aquatic rabbit. The person who mentioned the rabbit also spent half the time babbling about the uprising of toasters on the second Tuesday of three weeks ago two years later, hence rendering his opinion more or less invalid.

"Well, that didn't really get us much farther," Miku observed as they all settled down at the table, sharing their information.

"Seriously, toasters? That old man must've been completely bonkers," Rin added.

_He made Gakupo seem perfectly sane, and that's quite a feat, _Luka noted to herself.

"In light of our ineffective attempt at gathering reliable facts, I can present the depth of my knowledge on the matter," Gakupo said.

_You could've done that from the start and spared us from wasting our time_, the huntress kept the remark in her thoughts. _Though, I guess we couldn't have known in advance._

"The existence of a guarding power is indeed undeniable. There is a tiny island located at the center of the Lagoon where the vessels rarely venture. It is presumed to be situated either on the island or at the depths of the water near it," he told them.

"Okay, so we rent a boat and head there, simple as that. If we're lucky, it'll be enough to trek across the island. If not, we're going snorkelling," the knightess concluded.

"A-a boat? Surely you jest," Gakupo asked, his complexion suddenly becoming pale.

"We can't sprout wings and fly there," Luka commented. "Unless you have a better idea, it's the easiest way of getting there."

"In fact, I do," he announced with a straight face after a few seconds of pondering. "I'm capable of conjuring a layer of ice over the surface of the water."

"I don't think that'd be such a good idea," Len interjected, momentarily looking up from the puzzle. "We're better off saving your energy for acquiring the Treasure. Technically, Rin and I could do it, but we still lack the stamina for keeping up a spell like that for so long."

"That's settled then, we're really taking a boat," Miku gave the ultimate word on the issue. She stood up and loudly clapped her hands a couple of times to grab the attention of those in the tavern.

"Who's willing to transport us to the middle of the Lagoon?" she shouted her question. There were no volunteers; it was like they never even heard her speak up. After a few minutes of awkward silence, she sat back down.

"So it seems like getting a boat won't be that easy," she stated, twiddling with her fingers.

"Psh, you were doing it wrong," Rin claimed. She climbed on top of the table, clearing her throat.

"We're generously paying the captain and his crew who'll take us to the middle of the Lagoon!" she yelled the announcement. With a brusque movement, she was pulled down by her brother.

"Rin, what were you thinking! You don't know how much they'll actually ask for!" he harshly scolded her with a stern expression on his face.

"That does not pose a problem. I hold enough funds for it," Gakupo interrupted. The others looked at him in confusion.

"How do you have money if you live on the mountain?" Luka was the first to ask the question they were all thinking of.

"Confidential information," he simply replied, thus making them more curious about it. Nonetheless, they knew it wasn't the time to continue questioning him.

Rin's method worked, since several of the guests came to flock at their table, offering their services. All of a sudden, the crowd opened up to let a little girl pass through. She had short, black hair, tied into two pigtails at the side of her head. She wore a captain's attire of white and red. The group stared at her, wide-eyed in amazement.

"Kaai Yuki, Captain of The Apple," she introduced herself, putting her hands on her hips, chin raised. "If you want to go that far into the Aquamarine Lagoon, there's no one better."

"If you want to play pretend, then go home, little girl. We're seriously looking for someone to take us," Rin shooed her away, letting out small laughs while speaking.

"Don't speak to Yuki like that!" she retorted in an irritated tone, but referring to herself in third person diminished its effect. "Yuki learned how to steer a ship before you could even crawl!"

"She's very sorry for her rudeness towards you, Yuki," Len apologized in his sister's place with a kind tone, plastering his hand over her mouth. _We're screwed if she reacts to the insult,_ he noted to himself, fully knowing how she could behave at times. Rin still managed to shoot a grim glare in her direction.

"Yuki accepts the apology," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "But Yuki won't be so forgiving the next time."

"How can we be certain that you're really the best person to take us?" Miku inquired, reluctant to rely on someone so young; she seemed to be no older than ten.

"Ask any of the other captains," she suggested, gesturing to the people surrounding her. They all simultaneously nodded. _That's a very unanimous 'yes', _Luka remarked to herself.

"Alright, I'm convinced. How much do you and your crew hire for, Yuki?" the knightess posed the crucial question.

"Even though the blonde girl was mean, Yuki's a kind-hearted person, so Yuki will only charge you five thousand coins for the round trip," she stated.

"That is a reasonable price, Miss Kaai. Here is your pay in advance as a sign of our trust in you." Gakupo immediately handed the amount to the girl, procuring the money from a small pouch he had pulled out from his pocket.

"Yuki thanks you for doing business," she said, taking her fee with a wide grin.

"Come to Yuki's ship when your party is ready to leave. The Apple is the biggest one in the corner of the harbour. Anyone you ask can point you in the right direction," she instructed them. Right afterwards, she left as quickly as she had arrived, the other people also dispersing.

"I can't believe we're really going with her," Rin questioned their decision as her brother removed his hand from her mouth. "She's just a little brat!"

"Calm down, Rin. It seems like she's pretty famous around here, judging from the reaction of the other captains," Luka reasoned.

"Sheesh, fine," she gave up on prolonging the discussion, realizing that it's too late to change their minds anyway.

Considering that they had spent quite a while at the Moonwave, the group quickly ordered a meal out of courtesy, though the gesture was not unwelcomed by their growing appetite. Afterwards, they set out to find The Apple in the harbour.

* * *

Like Yuki had said, it was indeed the biggest ship. Even from far away, they could easily discern where it was anchored, and thus they headed towards it through the labyrinth-like harbour. Arriving closer, they saw that it had four masts with many, red sails on them. The vessel was built from a light-coloured wood. Befitting of its name, the hull had apples crafted onto it, with the bow shaped into an apple blossom and the bowsprit sculpted into a chain of apple tree leaves. The deck was filled with crew members scurrying from left to right, in frantic preparation for the approaching departure. The young captain was standing at the helm, shouting instructions to the sailors. As she saw the group coming, she walked to the plank connecting the ship with the dock in order to greet them.

"This is Yuki's amazing ship, The Apple!" she announced to them, motioning with her arms to it. "The Aquamarine Lagoon is huge, but on my darling, we can get to where you want to go by nightfall of the day after tomorrow."

"That's really great. I suppose we're leaving right away?" Miku wondered.

"Exactly. Be grateful to Yuki, because few captains would do the same. Now, come with Yuki," she said, beckoning to them.

She led them on board and straight to the captain's cabin at the stern of the ship. It was a lavishly furnished room, using the same red and white colour combination of her attire. The table holding the maps and other navigating instruments was pushed to the left wall, since cots had been placed inside for the travellers to sleep on.

"Yuki's letting you sleep in her captain's cabin, since Yuki's nicer than to let you sleep with the crew. So don't make a mess of things in here," she warned them. She pointed to a shelf holding a lot of boxes. "Those are games; you can play with them so you won't get bored. Yuki has to go steer the ship now, but she'll be back to check up on you sometimes."

With that, she left the cabin, leaving the group to themselves. Len sat down on a cot right away, determined to solve the metal puzzle. Miku walked over to the shelf in order to browse the games available to play.

"Who's up for some poker?" she asked the others, taking down a case.

* * *

The Apple embarked smoothly, gently rocking on the waves of the Lagoon. However, it was not gentle enough for Gakupo: about halfway through the first round, he could no longer control his seasickness. When his complexion became alike to his favourite fruit, he rushed out of the cabin. Just in the nick of time, he reached the very end of the ship, so as to not bother the rowing sailors while he sent his earlier meal at the Moonwave over the railing and into the sparkling, clear blue water. It wasn't entirely so sparkling and clear afterwards.

Luka couldn't help but worry about the spellcaster. As such, she followed him after a few minutes of hesitation. _Like it or not, he's a member of our group now, so someone has to go help him; I can hardly let Rin or Miku do that, _she concluded.

"Feeling better yet?" she asked him. At that point, he could finally stand up after about ten minutes of bending over. Gakupo opened his mouth to speak, but he was about to blurt something other than words, so he turned to the waters again.

The constant breeze blew her long, salmon-pink hair in every possible direction; his violet hair received the same treatment, despite the fact that it was tied into the usual ponytail. She walked over to him and gathered his locks into her hands, so as to keep them out of his face; she was familiar with the challenge of washing hair of this length and the bits of half-digested food probably wouldn't make it any easier. Taking note of her actions, for a moment he was able to turn towards her and give her an appreciative smile. About an hour later, his stomach had settled enough to enable him to sit down for periods of at least ten minutes.

"No wonder you weren't thrilled about the idea of going by boat," Luka mentioned as she handed him a glass of fresh water she had fetched for the man. He rapidly gulped it down.

"I am ashamed to admit that despite being the container of a large quantity of magical energy, I am unable to overcome this health problem, regardless of the methods I have tried," he confessed to her. "I am eternally in your debt for being with me in my time of need, Luka. You are truly my Eggplant Goddess."

The return of her nickname caught her off guard, giving her cheeks a rosy colour. It didn't help that she was sitting right beside him, and the way he gazed into her eyes made his words all the more meaningful. The magic of the moment was broken when another, short wave of sickness came over him as the ship slightly lurched.

"I can't just leave a sick person on their own. I'm not doing anything special to earn such a level of gratitude," she explained, continuing the conversation where they had left off, once Gakupo was able to sit down again. She averted her gaze to the floorboards of the ship.

"Allow the ailing individual to be the judge of that. I find your presence to suffice in being to my aid, so it is not up for argument," he declared the final verdict, leaving no room for Luka to object.

"If you insist. In that case, I'll take your word on being 'eternally in my debt', just so you know," she concurred, giving him a serious glance.

"Such is my intention," he confirmed, bowing his head.

Gakupo still struggled with the occasional spell of nausea, but the time in between gradually lengthened. Luka remained with him all along, bringing him glasses of water when he needed it and distracting him with casual conversation. After several hours, his complexion no longer had the purple tinge.

"Preceding the use of my debt towards you, may I have permission to express my thanks?" he asked her, while they were still seated at the railing of the ship.

"Sure, why not?" she easily agreed to it, finding the request to be a little strange.

All of a sudden, the man pulled her into an embrace. She was too surprised to push him away; nor did she need to, because in a matter of seconds, the hold of his strong arms released her. She stared blankly at him, confused by the event.

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Luka, that you kept me company during my illness," he spoke calmly, his lips curling into a gentle smile. Instinctively, she returned the smile.

"Ahh, uhm, you're welcome, I suppose," she replied, having a little trouble with finding the words to say.

"Shall we rejoin the others in the captain's cabin?" he suggested. She nodded in approval of the idea. They stood up and made their way back inside, walking side by side.

* * *

For the remainder of the journey, Gakupo wasn't burdened with the return of his seasickness. Most of the time, they stayed inside the cabin, not wanting to be a nuisance to the crew; yet they occasionally needed to see the sky spreading above them and marvel at the serene beauty of the Aquamarine Lagoon. Yuki had an incredibly wide selection of games, thus when they got bored with one, they simply switched to another to keep themselves entertained. It was also a great chance for them to bond; even Len joined in sometimes, to refresh his brain from constantly working on the puzzle.

Yuki stayed true to what she had said: the island came into view around midday on the second day after their departure. It was indeed very tiny: all they could see on it was a gigantic cherry blossom tree, in full bloom. It was triple the size of The Apple. They spent several minutes just silently gazing at it, drinking in its elegance and splendour. It was precisely nightfall when the ship anchored itself a short distance away from the sandy beach bordering the tree.

"The Apple can't go any further. Yuki and her crew will wait for you here, while you take care of your business on the island. Yuki will let you use one of the emergency boats to get there," she told them.

They boarded the little float and navigated it towards their destination.


	17. Chapter 16

The group of adventurers rowed their boat to the shore. The delightful scent of cherry blossoms was carried through the air by a barely blowing breath of wind. The evening sky was without clouds, an infinite amount of scintillating stars shone down on them. The waning crescent moon was merely a sliver of silver. An orchestra of crickets played their melody. A million fireflies lighted up the mature branches of the cherry blossom. All in all, the scenery made them feel like they were dreaming.

"This is really gorgeous..." Miku whispered, staring up at the ancient tree.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say we were back in Celmair," Rin added her own comment, also at a whisper. Speaking any louder felt like breaking some sort of unwritten rule of the island. The others couldn't even utter a single sound, just nod in agreement. They walked up from the sands of the beach, setting foot on the ground near the tree's roots.

For a moment, the world lost its color as everything froze in place. As time started ticking again and life returned to the surroundings, a hybrid creature flew up from behind the cherry blossom tree, high into the sky. It had the graceful body of a rabbit, though much bigger in proportions, coated with thick, sapphire blue fur. Large, ivory claws pointed from its massive paws. Vast, silky wings of the same shade of silver as the moon sprung from its back. The beast's head was also similar to a rabbit's, except for the ears: instead of standing poised, they drooped down in a spiral. It glowered down on the group with the penetrating gaze of its aquamarine eyes, baring its pure white fangs.

"Oh gosh, it really _is _a bloodthirsty bunny!" Rin shrieked with a voice full of astonishment.

The mighty creature rapidly swooped down, straight towards the group. They all jumped aside; apart from Rin, who was dragged to safety by her brother. It landed in the middle of their scattered formation. It turned its head to the sky, letting out a fearsome screech that pained their ears.

Taking advantage of their momentary weakness, it targeted the first person in its line of vision: Gakupo. Cerulean lightning burst forth from its mouth. Before the attack could strike into him, a sword with a curved, single-edged blade, a square guard and a long hilt appeared in his hands, which sliced through the lightning upon contact, keeping the spellcaster out of harm's way and directing it into the grassy ground.

The others used this as a chance to get to their feet and prepare to join in on the battle. The knightess unsheathed Tezafiris, running up to the creature. She started landing blows on its foot, but at first it didn't seem to be bothered by it. Suddenly, that foot lashed forward and knocked Miku to the ground, pinning her down. She still attempted slashing at it from her unfortunate position, but she couldn't put the same amount of strength into her attacks to make it actually worthwhile. At first, Luka aimed with Simetra toward the animal's wings, but changed her target upon seeing what happened to her companion. It was rather ineffective, for its foot didn't budge a single bit.

"Flammae!" Len yelled, using the same spell that worked excellently on the winged snakes. It barely even singed their opponent's fur.

"Magnae flammae!" he modified the incantation to add more power to it. It still didn't have too much of an impact on it.

"Maximae flammae!" he shouted the strongest form of the spell, skipping a phase and pushing his stamina to its limits. The air was now heavily laden with the smell of bananas. He could no longer stand, so he continued casting as he kneeled down. Up until then, Rin couldn't decide which spell to use, but seeing him like that made up her mind.

"Dono vires!" she chanted, hugging her brother by the waist with one arm and touching the ground with the other. She could feel the earth's energy course through her and into Len. The scent of oranges mingled with the dominant banana.

The strength of their combined magic was at long last strong enough to injure the beast. The flow of cerulean lightning halted, giving Gakupo a chance to counterattack. His sword disappeared as abruptly as it had appeared. He scurried over to Luka.

"Let me infuse your arrows with magic," he gave out the order. She handed them to him without another word.

Gakupo inaudibly murmured something while holding the arrows. An amethyst light wrapped around them, bringing forth the smell of eggplants. Still glowing, he handed them back to the huntress.

"Aim for the heart," he instructed her. She did as she was told, once again changing her aim. The flying arrow drew an arc of lavender on its trajectory behind it. It landed exactly where it was intended to.

Piercing through its chest, the creature was instantly disassembled, exploding into cherry blossom petals that slowly fluttered to the ground. They managed to crawl to the roughly same spot before the exhaustion forced them all to lay down flat on their backs, heavily panting and gasping for oxygen.

"Congratulations, you have completed the first task," a feminine voice spoke, echoing around them. It came from everywhere and at the same time, nowhere. They lacked the energy to ask who was talking to them.

"I am Mizki, the Spirit of the Aquamarine Lagoon and the Guardian of the Treasure of the Lake," she replied, like she was reading their minds.

"Yes, I am reading your minds," she confirmed their unspoken hunch.

"No, not all your thoughts, only the ones you direct towards me," she assured them about the question that naturally arises in such a situation.

_Will you hand over the Treasure to us?_ Rin was the first to pose the question after quickly accepting what Mizki claimed as the truth.

"No, I won't hand it over to you. It is not enough to only complete the first task. It was a preliminary task, in order to confirm that you are worthy of attempting the Ritual," she informed them. "Before I can explain the Ritual, sleep."

Her last word took effect on them without delay, cutting off their stream of questions and sending them into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

When the group regained consciousness, they felt completely revitalized, like the fight had never happened. It was still night time; more precisely, it was night time again, because almost a full day had passed. The difference was noticeable thanks to a tiny detail: it was the night of a new moon, so the sliver of silver from the previous evening had now disappeared. They sat up, forming a circle. Unexpectedly, they heard footsteps approach from the other side of the cherry blossom tree. A young lady stepped into view. She had long, black hair that billowed behind her, with a cherry blossom circlet adorning her head. She came barefoot, wearing a simple dress made of aquamarine-coloured silk. A plain, silver mask covered her face, with slits in front of her eyes and mouth.

"The time has come for you to hear about the Ritual," the stranger spoke to them in the same feminine voice as they had heard Mizki with, the night before.

"Weren't you just a disembodied voice?" Rin was once again the person to voice their common question.

"Yes, I was just a disembodied voice. But on the evening of the new moon and the full moon, I can take on this humanoid form," she explained the change to them. "As I tell you about the Ritual, hush."

Similarly to the previous occasion, Mizki's words were like an enchantment: their mouths clamped shut, involuntarily making them hush.

"The Treasure of the Lake is an omnipotent magical relic. You humans can't even begin to imagine the possibilities it holds. Therefore, its usage comes with great responsibility. To make sure that it never falls into the wrong hands, a sealing charm was cast on it. Even then, an immense amount of magical energy is required to unlock its full potential. After unlocking it, none other than the Maiden can use it properly. The Ritual merely unseals it, but only for those of pure intentions. You have already given proof of your courage and bravery by defeating my beast form. As such, I grant you permission to attempt the completion of the Ritual," she clarified the situation. When she finished, they could feel the hold on their jaws disappear.

"Challenge accepted!" Miku shouted promptly, grinning from ear to ear.

"What exactly do we have to do for the Ritual?" Len inquired. He had another question in mind, but he already figured that he wouldn't get an answer from Mizki.

"I can only reveal that it is a task you have to complete individually," she responded. Rin worriedly glanced towards her brother. _Whatever it is, I can't do it without Len by my side! She has to let us do it together,_ the girl decided. Unfortunately, she had no time left to voice her request.

"It begins now," Mizki announced, snapping her fingers. Sudden darkness invaded each of their minds, their bodies limply collapsing.

* * *

Black. Black. Black. Miku saw nothing but pitch black around her. She raised her hand in front of her eyes, but she couldn't discern its shape. Her palm was touching her nose already and she still couldn't see it. There was no ground beneath her feet, or anything else supporting her, yet she didn't feel like she was falling. She flailed her arms wildly, hoping to bump into something, but her surroundings were empty. An ominous silence weighed down on her. She was stuck in the Nothing.

She wanted to speak her thoughts, but no sound came from her mouth. _What is this place?_ The question resounded in her mind. _Where did everything disappear to?_

"_You're alone," _Mizki's voice echoed in her head. "_You're alone...you're alone...Like you always were...You're alone..."_

_No, I'm not! I'm not alone anymore! _She shouted her objection. _There's Luka, Rin and Len...they've become my friends on this journey._ Images of their trip flashed up in her mind, of the precious memories they've made along the way. Near the end, pictures of someone else also showed up: Kaito's head covered in ice-cream, his charming grin on the night they spent together during the blizzard. Just recalling it was enough to make her heart beat a little faster. _And I've made other important acquaintances, too_, she added.

"_They don't exist anymore. You couldn't complete the counter-prophecy in time. You failed as a knightess,"_ Mizki continued to bring her morale down. _"You're useless."_

_That's not possible. We didn't even get a chance to attempt the Ritual_, she tried denying her words.

"_You did, and you failed. Why do you think there's Nothing here?" _the spirit asked the girl. Miku had no explanation for it.

_I really am...just a failure,_ she admitted to herself. _Everything I did, all the jobs I took on as a Teal Rose, how far we made it in saving Diavolco...in the end, they were for naught. I didn't leave a single mark on the world._

"_See? You knew it all along." _Mizki's confirmation deepened her misery. _"You're a damsel in distress who can't manage anything for herself."_

Her usage of words sparked a flame in her soul. _Hardly a damsel in distress,_ she snapped back as a reflex. _I'm still alive, I can still fight. I'm still here, so this can't be Nothing._ This remark instantly brought her confidence back.

_I have Tezafiris to count on. It's my sword since it can give shape to my will only, _she thought while pulling the weapon out of its scabbard. It hung at her side all along, but she forgot about its weight during her lamentations. The familiar feel of its hilt in her hands calmed her. Her mind at peace and her determination back in place, she began slicing at the blackness around her. She couldn't tell if it was effective, but nevertheless, she continued with the thrusts. Instead of discouraging her, the lack of success made her all the more enthusiastic about proving her strength, urging her to keep going.

"I can break the Nothing! I'm not alone because I can always rely on myself!" she screamed out when her confidence reached its peak. The sound of her voice achieved what her blade couldn't: the darkness shattered, freeing her.

A bright light flashed up, forcing Miku to close her eyes. Having used up all her energy, she slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

White to the left. White to the right. White beneath their feet. White above their heads. Rin and Len were trapped in a perfectly cubic, white room without doors and windows, standing in opposite corners. They began to walk towards the center of the space in an attempt to meet up with each other, slowly at first, then quickening their pace as they got closer. He was about to tightly embrace her when something stood in his way. A very thin layer of glass, almost entirely invisible to the naked eye, kept them separated. They pressed their palms together on the two sides of it. They could feel the warmth of the other's touch, but actually making contact was impossible. Fear strangled their hearts.

"Len, what is this?" she asked her brother in a shaky voice. But he could hear none of that, for no sound penetrated the glass. He understood what she said by reading her lips.

"I don't know, but I can't hear you, Rin," he replied, paying attention to properly articulate so she could comprehend his words.

The realization of their nearly complete isolation deepened their fear into panic. Tears clouded her sight, which soon trickled down her cheeks. He instinctively raised a hand to brush them away, but was incapable of accomplishing the task due to that accursed pane of glass between them. Rage and frustration replaced the panic; Len started battering it with his fists clenched, determined to break it down. But the violent attack didn't have the intended effect: the glass was just as durable as it was thin. On the other hand, with each impact, it began losing from its transparency. By the time he became aware of the change, it had already turned into an opaque, obscure layer. He stopped at once, though the transformation continued.

Len's figure started to disappear right before her. Rin's form was barely visible to him now. Fat teardrops gushed from aquamarine eyes filled with indescribable sorrow. The glass turned into a mirror, showing nothing more than their own, pained reflections. They screamed out in anguish. Unable to look at their own selves, they slumped down with their backs to the barrier.

The twins felt like they were torn into half, no longer complete. Like a table prepared for dinner without forks. Like a night sky without the moon, stars and clouds. Like a cake made without sugar. Like a magnet with only one pole. Like a butterfly with only one wing. Simply wrong. It was their worst nightmare, to be in a world without the other by their side.

"I won't let her be taken from me this easily," Len stated his resolve, once he had calmed down enough to think.

"No wall can stand between us," Rin announced as her tears had subsided. Even in absolute separation, the bond that tied them together wouldn't allow their hopes to be entirely crushed.

On their respective sides, they both tried the one thing they could: casting a variety of spells on the mirror. It yielded no results. When their stamina got depleted, they resorted to staring intently at it, attempting to use the mere power of thought to make it vanish. Gazing into their reflections, the similar features made them yearn to see their twin. The identical silly idea popped into their mind at the same time.

Len pulled the hair band out of his ponytail, letting his golden strands escape. Rin removed the bow and hairpins from her hair, thus enabling her golden tresses to graze her shoulders. Matching expressions looked back at them; they were unsure if they saw themselves, or their other half.

"You're always here with me, in my very being," they whispered simultaneously. The perfect synchronization of the moment shattered the mirror into countless fragments.

Rin leaped forward, tackling Len into a hug. Their arms wrapped around each other, tightening their embrace. There was no need for words to be spoken between them; the hug conveyed all their emotions flawlessly.

With a bright flash, they disappeared from the white room.

* * *

Gray clouds varying in size and shape drifted everywhere. When Luka came to herself, she noticed that she was lying on her back on one of them.

"Ahh, this is nice and calm. No danger, no rush, just peace," she said with a contented sigh and a smile on her face.

After a while, she turned onto her stomach and inched to the corner of the cloud, peering over its edge. Down below, she was surprised to spot someone familiar.

"Natu!" she exclaimed, overjoyed to see her beloved Carmpion. The creature turned her head and looked up at her owner. Luka leapt off of the cloud, landing exactly on the animal's back. Together, they flew among the clouds: sometimes evading them, sometimes going straight through them.

Out of her own decision, Natu began descending. Underneath the thick layer of clouds, a sea of scarlet blood stretched as far as the eye could see. Luka felt queasy from the sight, but she couldn't pull her gaze away from it.

"What made this happen?" she asked, hoping someone would answer her.

All of a sudden, she felt something warm ooze over her fingers. She looked at her hands and saw that Natu was bleeding. Her expression was scrawled with worry. The Carmpion gradually began losing altitude; Luka had no idea how she could help her.

"Natu, you aren't supposed to die on me..." she softly spoke, her voice trembling.

They soon plunged into the flow of blood. Luka tried resurfacing, but Natu's weight pulled her down; there was no way she'd let her go. _Why? Why? Why? _The evident question reverberated in her thoughts, followed by many more. _Why did my parents die? Why did the King and Queen die? Why did Natu die? Why did this bloody sea come into existence?_

When she saw that her struggling was pointless, she let herself sink, releasing Natu from her grasp. _If death enjoys following me around so much, then I shouldn't resist anymore. If that's my destiny, I'll accept it. _

Luka felt herself bump into something. She turned around and found herself faced with a layer of pocket watches. On all of them, the '12' was replaced with 'Time'. They each had one hand instead of three, but that was not the only strange thing. Each hand was a different person; all of them her acquaintances. She looked at them in confusion: some were at hours; others had reached 'Time' already. Those at 'Time' were the ones who had passed away. She stumbled upon her own watch: it was only at '5'. _Does this mean that it's not my time yet? It's too early for me to die, _she concluded. She continued looking through them. There were still many watches far from reaching 'Time'. Abruptly, a dark shadow passed across those. Once it had vanished, their ticking sped up. Luka panicked from the unexpected turn of events. _I want to slow them back down...It's too soon for them to reach the end, even if it's inevitable._

When she brought that decision, a rope appeared in front of her. She grabbed onto it tightly, and it began pulling her up. Within moments, she was above the surface of the bloody sea. Much to her astonishment, Natu was circling above her. She swooped lower, letting Luka climb onto her back.

"Everyone dies. But it shouldn't be sooner than they're supposed to. That's why we need to complete the counter-prophecy," she assembled her thoughts. At that moment, the gray clouds parted to let the sun shine, thus the sea of blood began to evaporate.

A flash of light made the entire scenery around Luka disappear.

* * *

Gakupo found himself sitting on a large eggplant. Across from him, Mizki in her humanoid form was sitting on a slightly smaller one. They were both floating in an amethyst-coloured bubble.

"You have no psychological weakness for me to exploit and test you with. Over the years, you had the chance to overcome them and transform them into a different kind of flaw. I can't ridicule myself by creating something as simple as a world without eggplants," she told him. "Though I'm sure it would be to your discomfort."

"That is correct. A disciplined conversation is more befitting of us, who are in possession of considerable magical energy," he observed.

"Such does not imply that you are in an easy position," she cautioned him. "I am demanding a colossal sacrifice from you."

"Please, enlighten me," he urged her on.

"You have to give up the entirety of your magical energy, including the supplementary skills, to unlock the capabilities of the Treasure. You shall cease being a spellcaster; you'll return to being wholly human," Mizki revealed the exchange. Gakupo took a few minutes to consider how to respond properly.

"I have no choice other than accepting your conditions. The Treasure is useless unless it's unlocked. I can't place myself above the common good," he gave his reply. She mischievously giggled; the strange sound sent chills down his spine.

"That is not all; I did say that you aren't in an easy position. The loss of your powers is unavoidable in order to succeed at your objective. You still have the Ritual to pass in order to acquire the Treasure," she began to clarify. "You have to beat me at a game of cards, fair and square."

"So be it," he acquiesced to her proposal.

Mizki proceeded to explain it to Gakupo. It was a very peculiar game, because it combined several different types of cards and many sets of rules; he could barely keep up with her as she spoke. There was no turning back, since he had already accepted to play.

During the course of the game, he often became very frustrated. However, Luck was on his side: whenever he was about to lose, some rule or other saved him and allowed the match to continue. Also, the misfortunate draw of a card kept the victory out of her grasp whenever Mizki was about to win. After a long struggle, he managed to claim the win.

"Congratulations, you were a worthy opponent," she praised him at the end.

"I can return the same words to you," he replied courteously. "Though a question has arisen in me: why was the Ritual relatively easy to complete, when you asserted the opposite?"

"I wished for you to take it seriously. As I said earlier, there is nothing I can truly test you with. I merely wanted to occupy you while your younger companions proved their worth to me," she answered. "This is mostly their quest; you just happened to get caught up in it because of your magical energy."

"You have made a valid point," he agreed, nodding his head. "Did they succeed in convincing you of their merit?"

"They performed well. Diavolco's fate is in the right hands," she assured him. "You may return to them now."

The spirit clapped twice, bursting the bubble they resided in. Gakupo's mind went blank.


	18. Chapter 17

The bottom of the sky took on a lighter colour as the night was nearing its end. Dawn was about to break in a matter of minutes. It was at that time that Miku, Luka, Rin, Len and Gakupo woke up from Mizki's enchantment.

Len immediately pulled Rin into his embrace and she gladly weaved her arms around his neck. Figuring that they must've been through similar shocking experiences, Luka felt compelled to comfort the twins. She crawled over to them, placing her hands around the shoulders. She motioned to Miku with her head, wanting the knightess to join in on the group hug as well. She did so with pleasure, and the twins didn't mind sharing their warmth with their companions. Gakupo remained where he was, not wishing to intrude on such a touching moment.

"Congratulations on successfully completing the Ritual," Mizki said as she approached them. "You have shown to me your worthiness of acquiring the Treasure of the Lake."

They broke out of the hug, but stayed close to each other; they found it to have a reassuring effect on their shaken souls. An ornamented, pink box fell from the branches of the cherry blossom tree, slowly descending. It landed in Mizki's outstretched hands.

"This box contains your reward, in its unlocked and unsealed state," she informed them. Miku stood up and took it from her hands.

Unsure on her legs, she sat back down and the others sat in a circle around her, in order to get a good look at the Treasure. Very carefully, the knightess lifted the lid. Inside it were two items: a pink hand fan with a picture of clouds and cherry blossom flowers decorating it, and a long, pink hair pin, with two loops, a tassel and a sculpted cherry blossom flower on it.

"They're...accessories?" Rin wondered, her voice sounding sceptic.

"But very gorgeous ones," Luka remarked, dazzled by their exquisite appearance.

"Well, they _are_ for a Maiden," Len added his comment.

"Now we just need to find her and make it back to Rubyca in time for the Harvest Moon," Miku noted casually, as she put the lid back on the box.

The first rays of the waking sun peeked out over the horizon. The light pierced Mizki's figure; like the creature from the first night, she scattered into a million cherry blossom petals, gracefully fluttering onto the grass.

"May good fortune be on your side for the rest of your travels," her voice resounded from every direction.

"I suggest that we return to The Apple," Gakupo spoke, looking in the direction of the ship.

With him in the lead, they headed towards the boat and rowed back to rejoin Yuki and her crew.

* * *

The return journey to Spila Zullia passed the same way as their trip to the island: most of the day was spent playing various games. Gakupo was no longer ailed by his seasickness, but he exempted himself from the games claiming that he had played more than he could bear in the past couple of days. Len was still frantically working on solving the puzzle, since they needed to know its secret by the time they reached Trincie.

It was the middle of their second day on board. They were supposed to reach their destination the next afternoon. Gakupo was resting and the girls were playing rummy.

"I opened it!" Len shouted triumphantly, grabbing everyone's attention. He scurried over to the table and brushed the cards aside to place the puzzle on the table. "Well, almost."

"Heeyy, I was about to win this round..." his sister voiced her complaint.

"You'll win the next one, just like you did the five previous ones," Miku glumly announced.

"Quiet, you two," Luka silenced them. "This is more important."

What was once a sphere of twisted, metal rods encasing a box now looked like a flattened sheet, with a single pair of rods holding the box closed. Len untwisted them, and as Gumi had said, the box popped open as contact between it and the metal ceased. It held a golden beryl in the shape of a triangle. Beside it was a small note; the boy picked it up to read it aloud to the others.

"This gem will give a signal when the Maiden's presence is in its proximity. You'll notice it when that happens," he declared, a puzzled look on his face.

"Wow, that's really helpful and straightforward," the knightess commented sarcastically.

"I don't think Gumi would have entrusted this to us unless she thought it would be useful," Len reasoned. "So we'll just have to wait and see how well it works when we get there."

"Exactly. No point in fretting over it, so let's get back to playing," Rin proposed, eager to continue her winning streak. Finally liberated from his tedious task, Len also joined in on the fun for the remainder of the trip. Ironically enough, his participation changed the dynamics of their gaming, causing Fortune to part from Rin's side and join his instead, much to the girl's dismay.

* * *

When The Apple docked in the harbour of Spila Zullia, they said their farewells to Kaai Yuki and her sailors. The sun was already setting; hence they saw no point in traveling to Trincie right away. Instead, they returned to the Moonwave in order to stay the night. The next morning, they went directly to the carriage station of the town. The group boarded the one bound for their next destination, once again profiting from the Teal Rose perk of not having to pay for their tickets. They arrived in the afternoon, three days later.

As they set foot in Trincie, it was easy to tell apart the locals from the visitors. The citizens all had blonde hair, of differing lengths and tints. The most prominent diversity among them was in their eye colour: ranging from cherry red to midnight black, though some were still more common than others, like the many shades of blue.

"This'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack. A needle that even has the same color as the hay," Luka observed, staring at the bustling crowd.

"The 'eyes like the Sea' part of the prophecy narrows it down to about half. Hopefully the usage of 'Maiden' also implies that she's young, which limits the options, too," Len reminded them.

"Alright, but how do we use the gem to our advantage?" the knightess wondered.

The boy pulled the box containing the golden beryl out of his pocket and laid the crystal in the palm of his hand. At about thirty second intervals, it produced a faint glow for a split second.

"At the very least, she's probably in town right now. I have a feeling that as we get closer, it'll start glowing brighter and more often," Len deduced.

"I'd imagine it to be the most advantageous for us to roam around the densely populated areas of Trincie," Gakupo suggested.

Without further objections, they took to discovering the town, the Kagamines serving as their guides. While making their way through a multitude of people, Miku spotted a dash of cobalt blue standing out in the mass of gold.

"You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up with you later," she quickly said to Luka before breaking off from the group.

* * *

She pushed herself through the crowd, always trying to keep her target within her line of sight. Eventually, she managed to catch up with him. Like she had suspected, the cobalt blue hair belonged to Kaito. She laughed upon seeing the sign of the shop he had entered: it was an ice-cream parlor. She waited for him to buy his snack and step onto the street prior to walking up to him.

"It seems that our paths cross again," she spoke up from behind the knight.

Suddenly hearing her voice startled him, to the point where he threw the recently bought ice-cream cone, consisting of no less than half a dozen scoops of various flavours, into the air. Miku extended her arm to catch the falling treat, managing to accomplish the feat. However, she leaned too far to the side, thus tipping herself off-balance. She was about to meet the paved avenue face first when she sensed that a strong arm curled around her waist, keeping her from falling down.

"Nice save, Miss Fearless Knightess," Kaito complimented her with a charming smile on his features. He held her in his arm like that for several seconds, getting a good look at the rosy tinge that crept to her cheeks, before aiding her in standing upright again.

"The Ice Cream Monster appears by day as well?" she inquired, pointing with the index finger of her right hand to the ice-cream cone she still held in her left.

"Certainly. Watch out so he doesn't eat you," he warned her jokingly.

"Really, the saviour of his meal? I find that hard to believe," she retorted, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips.

"You look just as sweet and delicious as his meal, if not more so," he quickly countered. Her only response to that comment was a stronger blush. He coiled his fingers over her left hand as he eased the cone out of her grip, gently smiling at the flustered girl.

"S-so, what brings you to Trincie?" she asked him, in order to change the direction of their conversation. She looked down at her feet, thus missing to catch a glimpse of a dark shadow passing in front of his eyes.

"The Queen's orders," he replied in a monotonous voice. A moment of pause followed. "I can ask the same from you."

"It's...still none of your business," she responded. She looked up at him, only half-astonished to see that he had already devoured the ice-cream. "I see you're not really fond of taking your time with dessert."

"Of course not. It'd be inconceivable to let it melt," he explained. "Though, I'm not of such a hasty nature in other situations. Ah, did you want some, too?"

"No, that's fine. I'd buy it for myself anyways if I wanted some," she asserted with pride, her tone making him chuckle.

"I see. Wait right here," he said, returning inside the parlour. A couple of minutes later, he reappeared, carrying two cones of ice-cream: one scoop of chocolate in each. Kaito offered one of them to Miku. "I hope you don't mind the flavour I picked."

"Didn't I just say that I can very well buy it for myself?" she questioned him, without taking the cone.

"It would be awfully rude of me to let a beautiful lady pay in my company. Consider it a reward for saving the previous one," he insisted.

"In that case, I can't really decline," she finally agreed to accept it, a tiny blush resurfacing on her cheeks as their fingers briefly touched. _Especially since it's chocolate, _she noted to herself. "You know, always calling me a 'beautiful lady' gets old really soon."

"Need I remind you that you were the one to turn down my offer on listing the countless other possibilities?" he teased her.

"I give you permission to pick another one from time to time," she stated. Miku turned her back to him and started walking forwards. Kaito went after her, matching her pace.

"How kind of you," he replied with just a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "What do you say to 'maiden whose beauty rivals the sun and moon combined'?"

"On second thought, just stick with 'beautiful lady', if you really must," she flat-out rejected his proposition.

They spent the next couple of hours until dusk walking around Trincie, while chatting about all sorts of things and occasionally joking around with one another. Suddenly, Miku noticed Luka's salmon pink and Gakupo's lavender hair in the crowd, a short distance away from their current location.

"I had a really great time with you, but I have to go meet up with my companions now," she broke the flow of their conversation.

"Likewise. I hope to see you again soon," he told her, the gaze of his deep blue eyes connecting with hers. She nodded in response, smiling sweetly.

Without further ado, she headed towards her friends through the crowd. After walking a couple of meters, she looked back at him. He hadn't budged from the spot she left him at, watching her on her way. She grinned in his direction, waving; he returned the gesture. Afterwards, she turned back towards the group and managed to catch up with them in a couple of minutes.

"Where'd you disappear to, Miku?" Rin asked her upon joining them.

"I spent some time with a friend of mine that I saw in the crowd," she replied, an enigmatic smile appearing on her lips. "How did the search for the Maiden go?"

"No luck, unfortunately. At one point, the signal got stronger, but it soon faded again," Len brought her up to speed.

"We have decided to postpone our search for the day and continue it tomorrow," Gakupo added.

Having regained all their party members, the group proceeded to find a lodgement for the night.


	19. Chapter 18

The tavern they picked out to stay at wore the name of Sunset Sands. Befitting of that title, the interior used reds, yellows and oranges for decoration. There were about as many locals as visitors inside. Before requesting rooms, they settled down at a table in order to nourish themselves, beside one of the several windows. Len placed the golden beryl on the table, just for the sake of being prepared. It wasn't exactly a tavern, but more of a family restaurant, therefore waitresses attended to the guests.

All of a sudden, the gem began to react: the glow now appeared about every seven seconds, at a slightly stronger intensity. They all started looking around the room, hoping to see something that would help them identify who had affected the crystal. A waitress was approaching their table: a young girl about the same age as the twins. She had long, sunflower-yellow hair pulled into a ponytail on the left side of her head, her bangs reaching down to her eyes.

"Hi, I'm Neru, I'll be waiting on you this evening. What do you want?" she asked for their order. Her manner of speech was quite brash and her tone was filled with boredom.

Rin intently stared at the girl, with an expression of intense concentration. Thoroughly bothered, Neru raised her eyebrows, wondering about the mental state of the creepy girl.

"Whatcha gaping at?" she outright asked, breaking the unnerving silence that had emerged, taking a step away from the table.

"Your eyes," she simply replied. The place was dimly lit, so Rin decided to stand up from her seat. She brought her face so close to Neru's that their noses almost touched.

"What's your problem with my eyes?" she asked apprehensively, taking another step backward.

"They're the wrong color. They're amber, and we need someone with blue eyes," she declared, her voice full of discontent. She sat down again, receiving surprised looks from her friends due to her boldness.

"Well, sorry to disappoint. Don't like it? Door's right there," the waitress snapped at Rin, pointing to the exit. Len let out a melancholic sigh. _Looks like I have to clean up after my sister again,_ he thought to himself. He put his hand over Rin's mouth as a precaution.

"Excuse my sister for her rudeness. Your eyes are perfectly fine the way they are," he apologized, smiling at Neru. The unexpected compliment coming from such a cute boy brought a wave of crimson to her face.

"N-no harm done. S-so, your orders?" she asked again, the stuttering caused by her flustered condition.

For the rest of the evening, Neru's initial aggressive personality made no recurrence, for it was replaced with politeness and courteousness. However, the golden beryl no longer gave the same reaction when she returned to their table with the courses they had ordered.

"This is interesting...the golden beryl gave a false signal, and it isn't even being consecutive about it," Len observed.

"When it did react, it still seemed like it wasn't a full signal...maybe it was sensitive enough to act in response to someone passing by on the street?" Luka suggested.

"That seems plausible," Gakupo agreed, looking out through the window.

Having finished their meal, they proceeded to acquire rooms for themselves. Beside her job as a waitress, Neru was also in charge of the overnight guests. As such, the best four rooms of Sunset Sands were miraculously available for them to occupy for the night.

* * *

"I never knew you were such a charmer, brother dear," Rin said to Len in the privacy of their shared room; she had already changed into her nightgown and was snuggled underneath the warm covers of the bed. He picked up on the hint of hurt and jealousy in her voice. During their dinner, she showed no sign of it; she remained completely civilized. But he could tell from her occasional glances that she wasn't at all pleased about the way Neru looked at him.

"Honestly, neither did I," he commented. Once he had also finished changing into his pyjamas, he joined her among the blankets. "And who can we thank for creating the situation where this was brought to our knowledge?"

"Sheesh, I did nothing wrong. I was just checking if she was the girl the gem signalled or not," she retorted, a bit offended. "If it bothers you so much, feel free to go and apologize to Neru again. I'm sure she wouldn't mind your company."

"Aww, Rinnie, don't be so mad. I just wanted to point out that I didn't do it out of my own free will...You know well enough that you're the only one for me. My other half," he expressed his feelings to his twin. Since actions speak louder than words, he pulled her into a cuddle, crossing his arms over her stomach and placing light kisses into her soft hair.

"You'll have to try harder if you want to appease to me~," she told him in a playful tone.

"I know just the thing," he whispered into her ear, making Rin giggle. Without prior warning, he began tickling her; an old trick, but effective none the less. She began to squirm in his hold.

In the end, the tickling lead to a change of positions: Rin was lying flat on her back and Len was kneeling above her, straddling her hips, with his hands planted beside her arms. For a couple of minutes, their gazes were fixated on each other, their aquamarine eyes shining with happiness while they steadied their breathing. As his mouth curled into a smile, so did hers. He affectionately stroked her cheek with his right hand; she did the same, continuing to mirror his movements. He slowly closed his eyes and leaned down to take her lips into his possession.

"Appeased yet?" Len inquired when the kiss had ended.

"Hmmm..." she began to ponder, placing a finger on her lips. "Not at all!"

He knew what her aim was with that exclamation; as a result, he did exactly the opposite. He climbed off of his sister and lay down at the other end of the bed. Her features distorted in puzzlement and worry.

"I suppose I'll have to think of something better, so I should get some sleep first," he clarified to her, pulling a blanket over himself. "Good night, Rinnie!"

"Uhh, good night, Lennie..." she said, the confusion apparent in her voice. At a loss for a better idea, she tucked herself in, attempting to drift off into dreams.

A short while later, she felt the bed shake as her brother turned around to place himself into a more comfortable sleeping position. Or so she thought. All of a sudden, his lips crashed onto hers and his arms locked her into a tight hug.

"Alright, entirely appeased now," she managed to say in between two of his passionate kisses.

* * *

The next morning, the group had breakfast before heading out for a long day of wandering about. Rin was delighted to see that Neru didn't have the first shift. After having gathered their belongings, they set out to systematically comb through Trincie in hopes of stumbling upon the Maiden.

Len assumed the role of the golden beryl's carrier, having developed a certain attachment to it after putting in so much effort to unlocking its box; as such, he was at the head of the group. During their search, the gem gave mixed signals. Sometimes an entire minute would pass between glows, but the shortest time was ten seconds at a faintly smaller intensity than what they experienced at Sunset Sands the previous evening. It was already afternoon and exhaustion dampened their mood.

"Seriously, we've crossed the town at least three times over! Where could this girl possibly be hiding?" Rin voiced her annoyance at their misfortune.

As soon as she said that, the gem reacted in an unprecedented way: rather than a glow, it was basically shining every two to three seconds. The group was in the main square, in the middle of an immense crowd. It was impossible to properly oversee it.

Len felt a sudden impact from his left: someone running at high speed had bumped into him. He fell to the ground onto his back, thus cushioning the fall of the person. He had instinctively enclosed the crystal in his fist so as to not drop it. It began to burn his palm, so he unclenched his hand. The golden beryl flew out of it and hovered above the individual sitting on him, creating a veil of light around them.

"I...think I found the Maiden," he commented.

The person was a girl, who looked to be about a year younger than Miku. She had long, golden hair just like the sun. She had clear, turquoise eyes, just like the sea. She wore a short skirt that reached to the middle of her thighs, made of alternating yellow and white fabric. The clothing on the upper part of her body consisted of a black cloak that barely covered enough skin. Her footwear was a pair of long, black and yellow high-heeled boots that went above her knee. There was also a black leather belt tied around her neck and black loopy bracelets decorating her arms. She looked at the members of the group with bewilderment and curiosity. Noticing that she was sitting on something softer than the stone path, she scurried to her feet and dusted herself off.

"Very sorry for bumping into you, but I'm in a hurry," she quickly apologized to Len, bowing her head. She was about to continue her dash, if Luka hadn't grabbed her wrist.

"Wait, we've been searching for you," she informed the girl. "Could you give us a moment of your time?"

"Tch, they've even got reinforcements from other towns after me now?" she posed the rhetorical question. It was their turn to have a confused look on their faces.

"You're probably mistaking us for someone else," Miku quickly explained. "But we really have been looking for you. It's important."

"I don't suppose you'll let me go until I hear you out?" she asked.

"You've got that right," Rin replied, nodding.

"Then, come with me to a safer place," she said, deciding that resistance would be futile. "If you can keep up, I'll listen to what you have to say."

The supposed Maiden led the group along the backstreets and alleys of Trincie with an incredible agility, giving them a hard time with following her. Eventually, they reached the 'safer place' she had mentioned: it was a rundown building at the outskirts of town. She guided them inside, to a room in the back corner of the second floor. The furniture was just a few sofas scattered all over the place, in a pretty battered state. She casually tossed herself onto one of them.

"Take a seat, make yourselves at home," she recommended to them, motioning to the available spots. Since they were quite tired, they gladly took the offer. "Now, what business do you have with me?"

"Well, you see, uhh..." Miku began to speak. _I can't really call her Maiden, can I? _"What's your name?"

"You were looking for me without even knowing my name? That's a bit sketchy, no matter where you look at it from. It's Lily, by the way," she revealed to them.

"The situation isn't as simple as that, Lily. It might be a bit absurd, but you're mentioned in a counter-prophecy. Diavolco is in danger, and you're crucial to saving it," the knightess started telling her the details. "It speaks of 'The Maiden with eyes like the Sea and hair like the Sun' and that description fits you perfectly. That veil of light coming from the gem also confirmed it."

Lily propped up her chin on the back of her hand, attempting to comprehend the information she had been presented with. She only spoke after a couple of minutes.

"I see...if I help, do I get to leave Trincie?" she inquired, taking her own interest into consideration.

"Yeah, you have to come back with us to Rubyca," Len replied, intrigued by the first question that popped into her mind. "Why are you in such a hurry to leave town?"

"Let's say that not everyone looking for me wants to request my help," she gave a suspicious excuse. "What do I need to do once we're there?"

"We're not entirely sure how, but you're supposed to use...this," Miku said, getting out the box containing the Treasure and showing it to the girl. She whistled in amazement.

"Well wow, I'm sold. They're mesmerizingly beautiful!" she instantly agreed. "Can I keep them afterwards?"

"At present, we're not aware of any exempting reasons to prevent that from happening," Gakupo informed her.

"Awesome. I'm ready to leave whenever. Though sooner is better. As long as we don't go by carriage, from Trincie atleast," she requested.

"How do you suggest we reach Spila Zullia, then?" Rin wondered.

"Ohh, I know a way. If you don't object to not seeing the sun for a few days," Lily answered mysteriously. "There's an underground pathway which can be used with a rolling cart."

"If that's the condition for you agreeing to come with us, then okay," Miku accepted her proposal on behalf of the entire group.

"Alright, follow me," she instructed them, getting up from the sofa, the others following suit.

Lily led them to basement level of the building. From there, they descended a set of long, winding stairs. At the end of it was a locked, wooden door; after fumbling with it for a bit, Lily opened it for them to pass through. Already past the door was the tunnel she had mentioned. She pulled a lever beside the door and small lamps lit up along the wall. There were two parallel slabs of steel placed on the ground, stretching endlessly into the distance. Placed on it was a cart big enough to hold all of them, even if a bit cramped.

"Please board the Lily Express. Departure is in one minute," she announced, pointing to the contraption.


	20. Chapter 19

The journey through the underground tunnel put their patience to the test. The cart proceeded at a steady speed and there was no way to raise its velocity. The positive side to this was that at least it didn't shake the living daylights out of them. However, the journey took four days to complete, which was a bit slower than if they would've gone by carriage. Spending so much time together was the true difficulty. They passed the time with sharing various stories, though Lily remained quite secretive about the kind of life she had in Trincie. The original members of the group were worried that Gakupo's eloquent speech would be a tad too much to handle, but the man was uncharacteristically quiet most of the time, preferring to blankly stare at the walls of the tunnel, deep in thought.

The end of the pathway looked exactly the same as the beginning had: there was a door locked from their side, and a lever beside it. Once again, Lily used unique methods to open the exit.

"Why is this tunnel kept locked?" Len wondered.

"It's better than making keys for it. A key can be lost or stolen; but a lock can only be broken by those who know how to do so," she explained to the inquisitive boy.

The group ascended the long set of stairs and climbed out through a hatch. They found themselves in a small cave. After exiting, they saw that Spila Zullia was a short distance away from their location. Upon entering the town, they opted for eating a proper meal at the Moonwave. Their provisions had barely lasted for the duration of the underground trip and their stomachs were quite in need of steaming hot food for a change. Right afterwards, they headed to the carriage station and boarded the one bound for Delmera. They welcomed the idea of the extended rest originating from the spell for the next two days.

When they arrived in Delmera, the group had a stop to make before being able to travel on to Rubyca. At the start of their journey, Miku, Luka, Rin and Len had left some of their belongings in the care of Miki at the Silver Gryphon; they believed that they would return there after exploring the Jade Forest, but the events took a slight turn, driving them all over the country before getting a chance to come back to Delmera. Their possessions retrieved, and a meal quickly consumed, they made their way back to the carriage station in order to return to the capital. Lily found it reasonably to her liking that there was no need to pay for tickets.

They arrived three days later, shortly after noon had passed. Rubyca was occupied with preparations: the Harvest Moon Ball was to be held the following evening. Decorations were being hung on the buildings; the bakeries were working at full force in order to create all the delicacies that were to be served; the tailors were putting the finishing touches on all the custom dresses requested for the event. It can easily be said that the citizens were much more excited about it than Queen Meiko's crowning ceremony that took place roughly three weeks prior to it.

The Harvest Moon was a special holiday in Diavolco. On this night once a year, the full moon lost its silver colouring and wrapped itself in a stunning shade of pumpkin orange. It marked the end of the harvesting season, thus the people enjoyed the cornucopia they had produced throughout the course of the previous year. It was a long-standing tradition for the Royal Family to organize a Ball at the Garnet Palace that spread out onto the streets of Rubyca. Despite the passing of the former rulers, Queen Meiko wished to keep up the tradition that even predated her parents' reign.

It was evident that after arriving, they headed to their favourite spot in the city: The Sugar-coated Camellia. Like their companions, the unique interior design dazzled both Gakupo and Lily; they had no protests about having to spend the night there. Rather than returning to the Convent of the Sisterhood of the Teal Rose and the Tower of the Order of the Golden Magnolia, they preferred to eat dinner together.

"Tomorrow's the night where the future of Diavolco is determined," Miku said, once they had finished their meal and decided to discuss their plan for the Harvest Moon Ball. "It's a good thing that this is a public event, because it'll be to our advantage when we infiltrate the castle. We have the Maiden and the Treasure, so it's only really a question of time; if we can find Queen Meiko before she starts fulfilling her side of the prophecy or not."

"Since the twins and I will be arriving with our respective societies, we'll only be able to meet up at the Palace," the knightess went into the details of the night. "That's why I'll entrust you three to bring the Treasure there. But it really would be better if Lily didn't touch it yet, so it won't get activated ahead of time by accident." The ones concerned nodded their heads in agreement.

"The ball officially starts at sundown, with the Queen's speech. We need to find each other before that, in order to follow her as she returns inside. The Crimson Wolves will mostly be guarding the courtyard, so if we can slip by them unnoticed, we're good to go. Well, from that point on, it's all improvisation," the tealette concluded.

Seeing as there was nothing they could further discuss during the course of a meeting, the knightess and the young spellcasters finally returned to their homes. In anticipation of a long and eventful day, Gakupo, Luka and Lily retired to bed early, so as to be well-rested for it.

* * *

On the other hand, Luka was too anxious to be able to snooze off so easily. After tossing about in her bed for a couple of hours, she decided to get a breath of fresh air, in hopes of it helping to calm her down. She walked out onto the balcony connected to her room. To her surprise, Gakupo was already out there; not on her balcony, but his own, right beside it. He held his gaze to the partially cloudy sky above.

"You're having trouble falling asleep, too?" she asked, walking to the edge of the balcony. There were about three metres between her and the man; the balconies were constructed separately to each room and that was as close as she could get.

"That is a correct observation," he said, keeping his eyes on the sky. "It is only natural before facing a situation akin to ours. I am amazed that Miss Lily doesn't show similar signs of restlessness."

"It's true that that girl has her...own pace," Luka commented, also marvelling at the view spreading out above them. "Though it's exactly that pace we can thank for being able to convince her to come with us so easily."

"Quite accurate," he acquiesced. Their conversation came to an abrupt halt, but Luka didn't find the silence to be suffocating, like she would have earlier on during their adventure.

"Gakupo, can I ask you something?" she directed the question towards the man, turning her head to look at him.

"Certainly. What troubles you, Luka?" he asked. She hesitated for a moment before replying.

"Do you have a guess at what kind of creature is going to be resurrected?" she wondered.

"I cannot answer for sure," he began his response. "No doubt, our failure would entail the destruction of Diavolco. We were faced with powerful magic on our journey; we can expect no less from our adversary."

"I-I see..." she said, her voice trembling from fear; his response caused her distress. "Millions of lives are in our hands..."

"Don't lose to your fright. We are in possession of everything necessary to stop that from happening, thanks to our efforts so far," he consoled her. He quickly glanced at her before diverting his gaze again. "Whatever comes, I'll protect you with my own two hands."

"I can't be that selfish, when the time hasn't come for so many other people," she said, remembering the horrific image she saw during the Ritual. "There mustn't be a sea of blood..."

"A sea of blood? How did such a description come to mind?" he inquired. Luka quickly told him about what she had to go through.

"Gakupo, I want you to repay some of your debt now," she announced. In a flash, she propelled herself from her balcony onto his. "This is going to sound weird coming from me...but please, hug me. Tell me everything's going to be alright."

"Such a request is something I'd gladly fulfill, regardless of the debt," he told her. He wrapped her into the strong hold of his arms. The sensation of his embrace combined with the powerful beating of his heart that she heard through his chest began calming her immediately. "Luka, you have nothing to be scared of. We'll succeed; I'm certain of that. You can take my word for it."

"Thank you," she said, a smile appearing at the corners of her mouth.

* * *

Queen Meiko was sitting in the dimly lit Throne Room, occupying the Queen's Chair. She glanced over at the empty King's Chair looming beside her. _I should get rid of that shabby old thing,_ she thought to herself. The double-winged mahogany doors opened, with Shion Kaito entering through them. He strode across the crimson carpet and knelt down at the bottom of the couple of stairs in front of Meiko.

"The Commander of the Crimson Wolves, at your service, Your Majesty," he presented himself before her.

"Awaken, Kaito, my Shadow Puppet," she said, snapping her fingers. A dark shadow covered his deep blue irises, changing them to jet black. "You shall report your journey to me."

"I have succeeded in gathering the objects you wished to obtain," he informed her, speaking in a very monotonous manner. "No difficulty arised."

"Lovely. Tomorrow evening, you shall aide me with unsealing Kurageo. You shall bring the items to the Observatory in the tallest tower of the Garnet Palace after sundown, when the Harvest Moon Ball begins," she instructed him.

"Yes, Your Highness," he confirmed the order.

"Sleep, Kaito, my Shadow Puppet," the Queen spoke the phrase, followed by the snap of her fingers. The dark shadow released Kaito's vision.

"Have the guards for the Harvest Moon Ball been arranged?" she inquired.

"Certainly. Everything is taken care of," he informed her.

"Thank you, Commander. You're dismissed," she said, shooing him away with her hands.

The knight got to his feet and took a deep bow. Afterwards, he left Queen Meiko in the solitude of the Throne Room.

"Second phase completed. Time for the final phase to begin," she stated, her tone layered with a sense of precocious triumph.


	21. Chapter 20

The day of the Harvest Moon Ball had arrived. The rays of the setting sun dyed Rubyca with a myriad of ember glows. The citizens flocked onto the lavishly adorned streets, walking in a long procession towards the Garnet Palace. The men wore elegant black suits, while the women by their side paraded in colourful ballroom gowns.

The courtyard quickly began filling up with guests. A small orchestra rehearsed in one of the corners, at the same time making sure that the magically maintained sound system was functional, considering that they provided the music for the entirety of the city. In another corner were the tables laden with food: appetizers, main courses and desserts alike. To pass the time that remained until sundown and Queen Meiko's speech, some couples were already practicing the waltz steps.

Lily, Luka and Gakupo arrived at the Palace well in advance. Iroha had graciously lent them suitable clothes for the event, so as to remain inconspicuous among the guests. She had also given Luka a classy bag to keep the box of the Treasure in, not to mention Simetra and her arrows. They indulged in the refreshments being served while awaiting the arrival of their companions.

The next to join them were the Kagamine twins. To signal their positions as spellcasters, they both wore a cloak over their ballroom attire. Shortly before the event was scheduled to start, Miku made her appearance alongside her Teal Rose comrades. Since this was considered to be a royal event, she came in her knight's armour. After their arrival, it was no longer necessary for them to stay with their own kind, so it was possible for the group to stay together with all their members currently present.

The clock tower of Rubyca struck 6 o' clock. The final shafts of sunlight dipped below the horizon, leaving an orange tinge at the bottom of the sky. When the last tolling of the bell came to an end, the main doors of the Garnet Palace opened. Queen Meiko slowly strolled through them, wearing a breathtakingly gorgeous dress, with Kaito as her escort to the podium near the doors. All those gathered turned their gazes towards her.

"Welcome, citizens of Rubyca!" she began her speech to the crowd. "It's the most anticipated evening of the year: the Harvest Moon Ball. It is a chance for us to reward ourselves for our hard work in the past year. It is a time for merriment and joy. Less than a month has passed since the former King and Queen moved on from this world and I know that the pain in our hearts is still great. That is the reason why I have decided to carry on the tradition of the Ball. Even in the darkest of times, I wish for my people to press forward whilst processing the pain, to carry on with their lives in high spirits. Without further ado, may the Harvest Moon Ball begin!"

She raised her outstretched arms into the air, thus giving the signal for the orchestra to commence playing. The guests flooded onto the main area and began to dance. Meiko descended from the podium and returned to the Garnet Palace with Kaito; it was customary for her to only join in on the celebrating at a later time during the evening.

"Now's our chance," Miku announced to the others. Forming a single line, they followed the knightess. They would've attracted too much attention by using the main doors, so they opted for entering the Palace through one of the secondary doors.

* * *

Just as Miku had suspected, the Garnet Palace was scarcely guarded on the inside, so they had a relatively easy time with getting around the Crimson Wolves, thanks to the many archways of the building. After a little while of wandering around, they heard the clacking of high heels on the marble floor, which guided them straight to Meiko and Kaito. They remained at a fair distance, to keep from alerting them of their presence. As they turned around one of the corners, Miku noticed that he was carrying a big, black box.

_Someone please tell me it's not what it looks like...Kaito can't be helping her with such an evil deed, can he? _She began to doubt the man whom she considered to be her friend already.

They were guided through several hallways and corridors until they reached a narrow flight of stairs leading up to the tallest tower of the castle. The group strayed behind the pair, waiting for them to reach the top before going after them. Once they had also ascended the stairs, they were relieved to find that there was a small antechamber before the door that had a small sign with the word 'Observatory' carved into it. This allowed them to remain hidden until the right moment came for them to intervene with the Queen's plans. She had left a crack in the door, thus enabling them to sneak a peek at what she was doing.

The Observatory's roof was partially opened; like so, the Harvest Moon's light overflowed the space. In the center of the room, a square piece of black fabric was laid out. Meiko stood to its left and gave her orders to Kaito from there. He took out four containers from the box and placed them on the edges of the cloth. The first one had a pure white substance in it, the second contained something yellow of a grainy constitution, the third held a couple of branches and the fourth was full of water.

At the same time, the group made their own preparations. Luka took out the Treasure from its box and skilfully placed the hair pin into Lily's sun-yellow tresses. The girl took the fan into her hands.

"Uhh, I still have no idea how to use these things," she commented.

"Just improvise. Let's hope that it's an instinctive Maiden reflex and the Treasure will start to work on its own," Len suggested.

Simultaneously, the arrangements continued on the inside. Meiko placed herself in charge of carrying out the last task. She retrieved a small flask from her pocket, which held a bloodstained handkerchief. She screwed off its lid and pulled out the item. Taking her time, she walked to the first container. Directly above it, she began to wring out the cloth: a few drops of blood dripped down, tainting the sparkling whiteness. She repeated the process with the second and third container as well.

"I just want you all to know that I had a really fun time on this adventure," Miku confessed to them. "So let's finish our quest and save Diavolco!" The others nodded in agreement. Prepared for battle, they chose that moment to burst through the door and interrupt Meiko's ritual.

* * *

"Stop right there!" Miku shouted at Meiko. The woman looked up at the intruders with surprise.

"Who do you think you are, daring to bother your Queen?" she angrily snapped back at them. "Kaito, attack the insolent fools!"

The knight dashed forward, targeting Miku. She promptly unsheathed Tezafiris and stood in a defensive stance, in anticipation of his first blow. As he approached her, she was frightened to see that his familiar deep blue eyes had been replaced with an eerie jet black. They engaged in a duel; while the man violently slashed at her, almost in a mechanical manner, she tried her best in keeping him at bay without injuring him.

"Kaito, don't you see? It's me, Miku!" she attempted bringing him back to his senses; unfortunately, it yielded no positive result.

It wasn't a possibility for her friends to come to her aid, since something else occupied their attention. Meiko didn't lose her concentration, thus succeeding at contaminating the water with blood from the handkerchief before they had a chance at stopping her. The Harvest Moon's shine glinted on the bloodied materials: at that second, a ruby red ray of light shot out from the containers. They gradually started converging to the same point above the center of the black fabric. That point served as the center of a ball of ruby light that began to form. When it was about the size of a person's head, Meiko took a spherical piece of black onyx out of her pocket and threw it into the ball.

"Kurageo, liberaris!" Meiko shouted the spell of release. The strong scent of liquor circulated in the air. The gem began to hover at the center of the light. Dark smoke began seeping out of it, swirling and spiralling in the ruby radiance.

An expression of panic flashed across their faces; they missed their chance to stop Meiko by a hair's breadth. The black smoke began to solidify and grow in size. Luka fired an arrow straight through it, but it only resulted in speeding up the process. Len sent enhanced fireballs into the creature, while Rin supplied the extra energy needed for the spell. Lily started to wave at it with the accessory in her hands, but nothing happened that was to their advantage; the shadow-being started to sprout several limbs.

"Seriously? That thing looks like a jellyfish," Rin commented.

Her observation was entirely correct: as the mass of shadows grew bigger, to the point where it now reached from the floor to the ceiling, the limbs prominently resembled tentacles. Acquiring a small level of self-awareness, it started to lash out with its tentacles towards them.

"Mwuahahaha, you stand no chance against the powers of darkness!" Meiko cackled maniacally.

Luka's awareness faltered for a minute while she adjusted her bow. The shadow-jellyfish used that as a chance to try and knock her over. It accomplished to come into contact with her, but she evaded the impact with the ground. At the last moment, Gakupo caught her, while fending off the tentacle with his sword.

"Gakupo, why aren't you trying any spells? Nothing we're doing is helping with defeating it..." she said, desperation in her voice as it trailed off. She looked straight into his eyes and noticed something strange. "Hey, weren't your eyes..?"

"Yes, the amethyst has been replaced by azure. During the Ritual, I had to sacrifice my magic in order to unseal the Treasure," he rapidly explained. "Nevertheless, I'm still capable of helping, for I haven't lost my skill of swordsmanship, which was unrelated to my powers."

Luka had no time to react to the unexpected news; another tentacle was fast approaching, so Gakupo quickly pulled her out of its path. Instead, it ended up stinging his shoulder, though his expression showed no sign of the pain.

While her friends were preoccupied with the released beast, Miku was still sparring with Kaito. She tried various phrasings to release him from whatever was holding him captive, like mentioning the times they spent together, but it all remained ineffective. She had one last idea to try out.

"Hey, Ice Cream Monster, come out!" she shouted between two parries. For the duration of a split second, his eyes regained their original color, but the darkness soon returned.

"Your beautiful lady needs you!" she continued to yell, hoping that the effect of previous momentary release still lingered.

All in all, it resulted in a strange outcome: the dark shadow appeared and reappeared rapidly, causing to Kaito to stop his attacks and let his sword tumble to the ground. He fell to his knees, clutching his head, screaming in agony. Miku joined him on the ground and wrapped the man into the embrace of her arms.

"Your beautiful lady knows you can do it, Ice Cream Monster. Dispel the darkness holding you," she cheered him on, reusing the efficient words.

The struggle against Kurageo continued. Len changed tactics and began shooting balls of light instead of flame at it, which proved to be capable of keeping the tentacles at a distance, though it did no persistent damage. Lily was still fumbling with the fan, unable to activate it.

"C'mon, pretty accessory, kill the darned thing already!" she finally screamed in exasperation. At that moment, the hair pin started to glow and a beam of pink light shot out from the fan. It pierced through the shadow creature, decreasing it in size.

"Awesome, it worked!" she exclaimed in triumph. Her incantation, albeit a much paraphrased one compared to traditional spells, seemed to be the key to using the power of the Treasure. She continuously repeated it, while being choosier about her words, and each time the beam had a stronger effect.

Soon, Kurageo was diminished to the size of the spherical black onyx. Lily ran up to it, pulling the hair pin out of her hair. With a decisive stab, she pierced the crystal with the hair accessory. It broke into sharp fragments that sublimated a few seconds later and the ruby light had also dissipated.

Due to the fact that Kurageo had been abolished, so was Kaito's Shadow Puppet state that Meiko had induced. Miku eased her hold on him and gazed right into his eyes. There were no traces left of the dark shadow, only deep blue remained.

"Miku, what are you doing here?" he asked in confusion. He looked at his surroundings. "What am _I _doing here?"

"There was a little bit of a 'world destruction' situation, but it's over now," she gave a rough explanation. "And you sort of tried to kill me on Meiko's orders, but it was really no big deal. I'll tell you the full details later."

"No, you foiled my plans!" the Queen screamed out in anguish as she saw her scheme fall to pieces right before her eyes.

"I tried to hurt you because of Queen Meiko?" Kaito asked. It was the only part of Miku's explanation that he took an interest in. She nodded in reply.

Kaito stood up and took his sword into his hands. He menacingly approached the brunette woman, his gaze burning with rage.

"I'm aware that I'm breaking my oath to protect you, Your Highness. But I was already a Crimson Wolf knight before I became your servant. As such, I can't let someone live who attempted to hurt someone dear to me," he declared his perspective. "For their sake, I'll even carry the sin of treason."

The others could only stare in amazement as Kaito brought his sword down onto Meiko, stabbing her through the heart. The strangest thing happened: she melted away into a puddle of black goo, which quickly evaporated.

All of a sudden, cherry blossoms fluttered down through the Observatory's opened ceiling. They formed a whirlwind of petals, which soon melded into Mizki's humanoid form.

"Congratulations, brave adventurers. You brushed away the menace," she praised them. "I believe that I need to make some clarifications."

All of them energetically nodded their heads in agreement. Any way you look at it, a melting evil queen is a bizarre phenomenon.

"Meiko's very existence was an illusion. She was a vessel that Kurageo had created in order to be finally released from its seal," Mizki revealed to them.

"What will happen now? Diavolco no longer has a member of the Royal Family to crown," Luka brought up the crucial question. "How will it be explained to the people?"

"All excellent queries. This is where being a Guardian Spirit with unlimited magical power comes in handy," she began to reply. "I shall alter their memories in order to make the Maiden into the new Queen."

"Well, I'm not objecting to that in the least," Lily declared her opinion of the idea.

"Perfect," Mizki commented. She clapped thrice. "It's done. With that, my role is done here."

As suddenly as she had appeared, Mizki's form scattered into cherry blossoms that floated back towards the sky.

"I guess we really did it, then. We saved Diavolco," Miku concluded. She looked up at the gorgeously glowing Harvest Moon.

"I don't know about you guys, but having fun at the Ball seems like a really good idea right now," the knightess suggested to her friends.

With that, the group left the Observatory and returned to the courtyard of the Garnet Palace to do exactly that, since they earned it. They spent the past month travelling all over Diavolco, experiencing various challenges in order to fulfill the counter-prophecy.

In the end, they succeeded before the shadows consumed the light.


	22. Epilogue

In the absence of the adventurers, the Harvest Moon Ball continued without taking notice of the events that took place in the Observatory of the Garnet Palace.

Mizki's spell was flawless: the crowd greeted 'Queen' Lily like she had been their ruler for about two months, after old age took away the previous King and Queen.

Their first stop was the buffet table: who wouldn't get hungry from saving their country? Afterwards, the group dispersed in the crowd to celebrate the victory in their own way.

* * *

"May I have this dance, my Princess?" Len asked his sister, taking a bow and offering his hand to her.

"It would be my pleasure," Rin replied favourably, a radiant smile brightening her face.

The Kagamine twins waltzed the entire night way. They lost themselves in the harmonious melody, their feet keeping perfect time to the beat. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, without a single missed step. It was like one soul, dancing in two bodies.

* * *

Miku was sitting at the edge of the courtyard, admiringly staring at all the dancing figures. _They move perfectly with the orchestra's melody...steadily, like the waves of the ocean,_ she thought to herself. All of a sudden, Kaito's approaching figure entered her view.

"It's a waste for a beautiful lady to act as a wallflower during the Harvest Moon Ball," he expressed his opinion on the matter to her.

"It just so happens that the beautiful lady is really disastrous when it comes to waltzing," she told him with a melancholic sigh.

"Practice makes perfect," he stated. "Allow me to help you with learning."

"No, it's alright. Just looking at the others is plenty enough for me," she declined his offer.

"Could it be perhaps that Miss Fearless Knightess is actually scared of learning something as simple as the waltz?" he teasingly inquired with a smirk on his features.

"Psh, hardly!" she scoffed. "I could very well learn if I wanted to." The surfacing of her stubborn side made him laugh.

"Then I see no reason for you to decline, since you do want to. It's obvious just by looking at you watching them," he insisted, cornering her with his reasoning.

"But...I'm in my armour...I can't really dance like that," she quickly found an excuse.

"That'll be to your advantage; this way, you can see your feet," he expertly bypassed it.

"Fine, fine, I suppose it's worth a try," Miku finally gave in. Reluctantly, she got to her feet.

After a while, the knightess got the hang of dancing. Of course, it probably cost Kaito some of his toes. As the evening passed, she found herself really enjoying it; actually doing it was just as much fun as watching others dance.

The hours ticked by with them barely noticing. However, they did take note of the clock tower striking the mystical moment of midnight. Kaito slightly dipped Miku and as he brought her upright to the last tolling of the bell, he placed a soft kiss on her lips. The girl's cheeks became crimson red, but she voiced no complaints about his sudden action; she couldn't have wished for a more enchanting first kiss.

* * *

"I didn't get a chance to say it then, so I'll say it now. Thanks for all your help against Kurageo, especially when I fell," Luka told Gakupo out of the blue. They were sitting on a bench at the side of the courtyard.

"My promise from the night before, that I shall protect you with my own two hands, was one that I did not make lightly," he responded. The weight of his honest words touched Luka.

"What do you plan on doing now that you don't have your magic anymore?" she asked him. "I'd imagine living on Quartz Point would be much harder like this."

"I have been considering my options since that moment. It indeed seems foolish to return to my life of solitude; the reason for it is no longer in my possession," he answered. "I believe it's a possibility for me to settle down in a city or town."

"If you don't mind hearing my suggestions, I have an idea," she informed him, a pink tinge creeping to her cheeks. "You could keep your promise and repay your debt to me at the same time. Return to Lyrcast with me."

"I am deeply moved by your proposal," he said. His mouth formed a wide smile. "I gladly accept."

"Look, Kaito's teaching Miku how to dance," Luka pointed out the pair to Gakupo, changing the subject. "Doesn't seem like she's having much luck with it so far."

"Would you care to dance with me, Luka?" he invited her on a sudden impulse.

"I didn't think you'd know how," she stated, the astonishment audible in her tone.

"There are many things you have yet to learn about me," he announced. "I do not boast of perfect skills, yet I hope they shall be to your liking."

They left their seats and joined the dancing crowd. Surprisingly, Gakupo turned out to be quite agile on his feet when it came to dancing. Luka herself felt neutral about ballroom dancing. Though, she had to admit that waltzing under the shine of the pumpkin orange moon had its charm. Especially since she got to do so in the arms of a man she had grown to trust.

* * *

As the sun peeked out from underneath the horizon and the moon faded from the sky with the stars blinking away one by one, it was time for the Harvest Moon Ball to end. The guests drowsily made their way back home. After a dark night, morning light illuminated Diavolco.


	23. After the Shadow Didnt Consume the Light

(A.k.a. the cheesy ending I can't just write into the epilogue but it still needs to be said)

Len proposed to Rin as soon he thought they were grown-up enough for it, in the most cutest and adorable way imaginable. They got married and lived happily ever after.

Miku started going out with Kaito. Eventually, he very romantically proposed to her. They got married and lived happily ever after.

Not only did Gakupo move to Lyrcast, he moved in with Luka and learned the art of being a hunter. When the time was right, he proposed to her in his usual eccentric way. They got married and lived happily ever after.

Lily was the most awesome Queen that Diavolco ever had. She didn't get married, but she still lived happily ever after.

As for Gumi, Mizki and every other Vocaloid that appeared in this story, obviously they lived happily ever after, too.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Woo, I finished NaNoWriMo :D At 11:56 pm my time, with an actual final word count of 50,030 (including this nonsense here at the end) xD

A huge huge huge thank you goes to my two constant reviewers, **Sakagami Hina **and **Sydney Grise**. I'm not sure I would've been able to finish without your support :)

I'd also like to thank everyone else who has taken the time to read my clumsy attempt at writing a novel. I hope you enjoyed it, despite its many faults ^w^

I could go on and on about my experience as a first-timer at NaNoWriMo...but rather than that, there's a Vocaloid song that expresses my feelings perfectly: Kagamine Rin's Last Stage (credit goes to original Nico producer, Jitabata-P). So here's a quote from the amazing lyrics (credit for translation goes to vgperson on y o u t u b e ):

"You smiled, and so did I. Us being together, it's been a blast!"


End file.
